Oil Resumption: MOSOP laments disruption of peaceful protest by police in Rivers

By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed interest implicit the disruption of a peaceful protestation successful Ogoni, Rivers State, against the national government’s planned resumption of lipid exploration successful the area.

The demonstration, organized by a conjugation of civilian rights activists, drew implicit 4,000 participants who voiced absorption to lipid accumulation restart without addressing cardinal concerns of the Ogoni people. Their demands see the long-delayed Ogoni cleanup, biology justice, transparency successful the process, and respect for assemblage rights.

Eyewitnesses said constabulary operatives dispersed the assemblage and forced protesters distant from the venue.

MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, condemned the development, describing it arsenic a usurpation of antiauthoritarian rights.

“The radical should beryllium escaped to explicit their discontent. That is the essence of a antiauthoritarian system. To halt a peaceful protestation successful specified a mode is unacceptable and undemocratic,” Nsuke said.

He maintained that efforts truthful acold toward lipid resumption had not reflected the views of the Ogoni people. “We privation due dialog that is transparent and inclusive. We importune that determination volition beryllium nary lipid resumption until each basal demands are met. That is our presumption and that is the presumption of the Ogoni people,” helium added.

The incidental has heightened tensions successful Ogoni communities, wherever fears stay that lipid resumption without owed process could worsen decades of biology degradation caused by spills and pollution.

The protestation came conscionable a week aft President Bola Ahmed Tinubu posthumously honored the Ogoni-4 — Chief Albert Baddey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage — successful what galore spot arsenic portion of reconciliation efforts with the radical of the area.

The station Oil Resumption: MOSOP laments disruption of peaceful protestation by constabulary successful Rivers appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.