From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called for the carving out of Ogoni blocs in Oil Mining Lease (OML 11) from the existing concession agreement between Sahara Energy and WAGL.
MOSOP made the call in a joint statement signed by the Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, and its past factional leaders, Fegalo Nsuke and Prince Nuyete Biira in commemoration of Ogoni Day.
King Samuel Nnee Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, who is also the convener of the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers on behalf of the Ogoni people, read the statement.
MOSOP leaders demanded that the Ogoni blocs in OML 11 should be carved out and be given to an indigenous firm that would be committed to the development of the area.
The statement reads partly: “MOSOP demands the unbundling, removal or carve-out of the Ogoni fields from the existing Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) between Sahara and WAGL for the OML 11 concession and the assigning of the Ogoni bloc to an indigenous operator that is acceptable to all parties and willing to make concessions and commit a fair proportion of its earnings for Ogoni development through the immediate establishment of an Ogoni Foundation or Trust.
“The details of the operationalisation to ensure transparency and effectiveness will be made known in a couple of weeks.”
MOSOP also reiterated its call for the clearing of the names of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni martyrs, who were murdered during the General Sani Abacha military regime of any wrongdoing and also confer posthumous national honours on all the 13 Ogoni martyrs. The movement lamented that about 500,000 barrels of daily crude oil were trapped under the Ogoni soil since 1993 when Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) exited Ogoni land due to disagreement with the people.