By Daniel Abia

Worried by the lingering political crisis in Rivers State, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni people, MOSOP, in the United States has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to once again intervene in the face off between Governor Siminilaye Fubara and the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.

The group said the crisis has affected development in the state especially as the allocation to the 23 local government areas have been put on hold by the recent court judgment.

In a communique issued at the end of a 3-day celebration to mark the Ogoni-13 and the 30th anniversary of the Ogoni Four, at Missouri, United States, MOSOP urged the President to do everything within his power to end the tension in the state by advising the FCT minister to concentrate on his duty post as a minister.

Signed by Elder Augustine Dine Bari Kpuinen, President, MOSOP-USA, the group frowns at the continuous chaos in River’s politics “caused by the Minister of FCT. The ongoing judgment of the Appeal Court seated in Abuja is hurting the people of Rivers State.

“Governor Fubara cannot meet the State’s financial burdens without federal allocations. MOSOP-USA feels like the actions of the FCT Minister are targeted at hurting the Ogoni people the more. Everyone involved must know that the State is not individual property; hence, what affects the State also affects good governance and the people of River State.

 “MOSOP USA is appealing to President Tinubu to control the Federal Minister of the FCT, intervene in the crisis, and bring a lasting solution to the State that will be in the interest of Rivers people and not an individual. MOSOP-USA would like to see this crisis resolved amicably without anyone enslaving Rivers State as his own. The Minister of FCT should concentrate on his assignment of ruling over the federal capital territory and allow the governor of Rivers State to have peace administering the good people of the State”.

Meanwhile, MOSOP-USA has given the creation of an Ogoni autonomous state as one of the conditions for the resumption of oil exploration in the area, adding that the families of the Ogoni 13 should be adequately compensated.

 “The Ogoni Nine should be Exonerated and immortalized by declaring November 10 an environmental day in Nigeria. Ogoni people should be compensated for all the atrocities perpetrated against them by the Babangida / Abacha administrations while a reasonable proportion of the resources from Ogoni should be used for Ogoni development”.

Other conditions include the adoption of the Ogoni Bill of Rights in the Nigerian constitution, “thereby granting, implementing, and creating an Ogoni political autonomous State within Nigeria, as the refusal will indicate that Ogoni is rejected and not considered part of Nigeria”.

It called on the federal government to prevail on HYPREP to contract companies with experience in the remediation of oil contaminants in Ogoni land. “Such companies must possess professional track records to enhance Ogoni land’s standard cleanup. MOSOP-USA will not accept any substandard completion or cover-up of contaminants in exchange for cleanup”.