The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called for peace and reconciliation amongst Ogoni people. In a statement to mark the November 10, 1995 memorial of the inhuman and ruthless execution of nine Ogoni rights campaigners including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nsuke said it’s time to make peace and work together for the good of the community and the country.

“It’s time to make peace. We have had a prolonged conflict which has not only divided us but has also been exploited by external forces to frustrate our development goals. At this time, I urge you all to make peace, compromises, and reconciliation within yourselves to ease the tensions and chat a common cause for the good of Ogoni”

Nsuke called for mutual respect and commitment to the common good, noting that internal strife has done more damage to the Ogoni people than the crimes of Shell. He said the events of November 10, 1995 may have been averted if not for internal strife which the Nigerian government took advantage of. He therefore urged Ogoni youths, women, men, political class, elites and the grassroots to accept the mistakes of the past and make compromises for the sake of tomorrow.

“While I do not want to recount the crimes of Shell against the Ogoni people, I note that their impact on our people may not have been so monumental but for the internal disagreement that existed amongst us.”

“The enemy understood that the only way they could break us is by setting us against each other and we fell for their trap. Today is an opportunity to rethink and make peace. I am ready for that peace and I urge you all to embrace it”

“Despite the odds, we have left our mark at home and on the international stage and no one can take us for granted anymore. However, we still have an unaccomplished task. The task of translating our advantages into economic value for the good of our people. This task requires that we harmonise our efforts and collaborate to build a better world that assures every Ogoni child, man, woman, of a greater and secure future”

“We must end the internal division and go for what matters most for our people – to ensure that our God-given resources are beneficial, not only to our government, but also to ourselves, the Ogoni people” Nsuke said.

Today keeps reminding us of one of the most cruel parts of our history – when the Nigerian state took innocent lives of our leaders to satisfy and offer Shell the security and assurances it requires in its unethical dominance and unjust resource exploitation which caused profound devastation of our land.

Although the lives of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, Nordu Eawo, Dr. Nubari Kiobel and several others could not be saved, we are not alone. The world has shown heartfelt solidarity which shielded our people from the vicious swords of General Sanni Abacha, gave protective asylum to thousands of our people and prevented an unimaginable slaughter in the hands of Nigeria’s leaders at the time.

We should never forget that the world who stood for us still watches us to see how we advance our course and quest for justice.

We should never fail our innocent brothers who were slaughtered by the state and I urge you to continue to respect their innocence and sacrifices by seeking their total exoneration and committing to the development goals they sought which cost their lives.

MOSOP therefore re-iterates the call for the complete repudiation of their wrongful execution by revisiting their entire execution process with the view to delivering justice for all whose blood makes this day so significant.”

In conclusion Nsuke assured the Ogoni people of a brighter feature in these words: “I assure you that we have hope and will rekindle this hope by leaving you with this piece of writing from the late Ken Saro-Wiwa wherein he stated:

“Dance your anger and your joys away.”