The United States branch of the Movement For the Survival of Ogoni People (Mosop-USA) has restated its opposition against resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, demanding that the Nigerian nation must recognize, implement and include the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR,) in its Constitution to reconsider its position.

The group as the mother body of Ogoni people has been on conditionalities for the re-commencement of exploration in the Ogoni oil fields with capacity of about 200,000- bpd of crude oil.

It expressed regrets that more than 35 years after the OBR was signed, the Federal Government has done nothing to address the plight of Ogoni people, reaffirming its commitment and support to the bill as a fundamental condition established by the British government for the inclusion of Ogoni within Nigeria at the time of independence.

In a statement in Port Harcourt by the President, Mosop-USA, Elder DineBari Augustine Kpuinen, said the Ogoni Bill of Rights was intended to be integrated into the Constitution of Nigeria to safeguard the interests of these groups and to address their concerns, as articulated in the 1957 Willink Commission resolution.

The group recalled: “The nations of the Niger Delta had sought a separate state in conjunction with Nigeria, driven by concerns of potential dominance and marginalisation by the major ethnic groups.”

According to him, the Willink Commission was established with the primary aim to investigate and offer a solution to the concerns of minority groups.

“Consequently, the request for the establishment of a separate state was denied, contingent upon the minorities’ submission of a Bill of Rights. This bill was intended to be integrated into the Constitution of Nigeria to safeguard the interests of these groups and to address their concerns, as articulated in the 1957 Willink Commission resolution,” he said.

He regretted that 35 years after the bill was presented to the Federal Government in August 1990 through the then Military President General Ibrahim Babangida, Ogoni people continued to experience similar challenges to this day.

The statement further read: “The discovery of oil in commercial quantities in 1958 significantly transformed the economic landscape of the region. Following the attainment of independence, the Nigerian government commenced the exploitation of the resources belonging to minority groups for the purpose of enhancing its economic interests.

“In 1960, at the time of Nigeria’s independence, all resolutions put forth by the Willink Commission in support of the Delta Niger people (minorities) were dismissed, overlooked, and disregarded. This event marked the commencement of a prolonged denial of our rights by both the populace and the government of Nigeria.

“On this date in 1990, the leaders of the Ogoni people referenced the decision of the Willink Commission as a prerequisite for their continued association with Nigeria.

“The anxieties surrounding dominance and annihilation that minority groups experienced prior to independence are currently mirrored in the situation of the Ogoni people. The Hausa/Fulani herders, comprising a significant portion of the population within the Nigerian nation, utilise our cash crops, vegetables, and various agricultural products as feed for their livestock.”

“Speaking out against this evil practice can result in severe repercussions. In our region, Fulani herders have kidnapped people to extort money from their families, killing the victim if the family cannot pay.

“Furthermore, the Biafran nation, another significant ethnic group, has forcibly annexed the Oyigbo Local Government Area, which rightfully belongs to the Ogoni people. Consequently, the Biafrans receive both federal and state allocations for this area, which should exclusively benefit the Ogoni community.

“Our environment is among the most polluted in the world due to reckless and unchecked oil exploration on our land. Major ethnic groups and the government have embezzled the oil royalties and land rents that are owed to the Ogoni people.

“Despite the lack of compensation for the Ogoni and the failure to clean our polluted environment, the NNPC is provoking the Ogoni people by forcefully resuming oil operations in Ogoni, violating the persona non grata that was declared against them in 1993.

“The Bill of Rights continues to be blatantly overlooked. Ogoni is not viewed as a vital stakeholder in Nigeria; rather, it is treated as a conquered territory, subjected to oppression, destruction and internal colonization.

“Besides, these pressing issues, our government and some leaders remain fixated on resuming oil activities, ignoring the call for justice and dignity.

“When we appealed to the government and people of Nigeria for protection, that same government responded not by safeguarding the Ogoni nation but by murdering our leaders and citizens who were non-violently demanding their rights.

“We protested against internal colonization, oppression, environmental pollution, political marginalization and land degradation. As a result, many were forced into exile, with some still suffering from statelessness in the Benin Republic and other West African countries to this day.” (Nigerian Tribune)