By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT— Hundreds of Ogoni youths in Rivers State, yesterday, blocked the Akpajo end of East West Road, protesting the location of the office to drive implementation of United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP report on Ogoni in Abuja.

The protesters caused traffic gridlock in the area for several hours.

File photo: Ogoni protest

Former factional head of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni, MOSOP, Mr Goodluck Diigbo in a statement later accused President Muhammadu Buhari of allegedly relying on recommendations of non experts to approve measures to fast track the implementation of the UNEP report, adding that the President also allegedly lied about the identities of those who gave the recommendation to him.

“The recommendations were secret, received from non-experts and lied about the identity of those involved. Buhari administration should show proof by publishing the recommendations and names of the signatories, which never happened. President Buhari deceived the entire world,” he said.

Meantime, the mainstream MOSOP led by Pyagbara Legborsi, has condemned the protest, describing those behind it as faceless.
A statement by Barisria Kpalep for MOSOP, said the body will work with the Federal Government to actualise the implementation of the report in Ogoni.

He said: “Reports available to MOSOP have revealed that the demonstrators mischievously claimed that they were protesting exclusion from the UNEP report implementation process.”

“We condemn the action and reject the reason adduced, which smacks of desperation. Insofar as we are concerned, the protesters and their sponsors, who have earlier declared an unrecognised ‘Ogoni self-government’ are drowned in ignorance and dubiously seeking relevance and should be discountenanced.”