Indigenes of Ogoniland have commended the replacement of Mr Saro Legborsi Pyagbara, president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) on the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Indigenous Peoples describing it as a victory for human rights and democracy

A letter by Ogoni Community Development Network (OCDN) to the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, dated 25th August 2018, and signed by the President, Johnson Kuele highlighted this position.

“The Ogoni Community Development Network (OCDN) representing the indigenous peoples of Ogoniland, Nigeria do hereby express our endorsement of your decision to replace Mr. Saro Legborsi Pyagbara, president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) on the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Indigenous Peoples.

“We consider your decision a victory for human rights and democracy, given the fact that Pyagbara has shown a strong inclination to destroy the democratic principles upon which MOSOP was founded. Just to intimate you on what informs our decision, Pyagbara as president of MOSOP has served two tenures since January 2013. He was re-elected in December 2015.

“Based on the constitution of MOSOP (herein attached), Pyagbara's tenure comes to an end in December 2018. Unfortunately, Pyagbara has failed to constitute the electoral committee to commence elections that will produce his successor. The electoral committee is traditionally constituted in July of the election year. He instead had been scheming for constitutional changes to give him powers to extend his tenure.

“These actions do not only violate the rights of the Ogoni people to choose their leaders in MOSOP but also endangers the democratic foundations and principles of MOSOP. Pyagbara’s delay in commencing elections in MOSOP is creating some uneasiness in Ogoni especially for a human rights organisation whose leader is turning dictatorial.

“We commend your replacement of Pyagbara and will further intimate you on developments in MOSOP,” the letter said.