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Military not enemy of Ogoni, Saro-Wiwa associates insist

By Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt
22 January 2018   |   4:19 am
The Ken Saro-Wiwa ASSOCIATES (KSA) has said the Nigerian army and other security agencies were not the enemies to the Ogoni people, insisting that their real enemies were those who have politicised the Ogoni struggle.

Nigeria Army

The Ken Saro-Wiwa ASSOCIATES (KSA) has said the Nigerian army and other security agencies were not the enemies to the Ogoni people, insisting that their real enemies were those who have politicised the Ogoni struggle.

The group said the military has not carried out any violent acts against the Ogoni people in spite of their several protests against injustice resulting from oil exploration and severe pollution of their land.

National Coordinator of the group, Gani Toba, stated this in Bori, Gokhana Local Council of Rivers State at the weekend during a sensitisation programme.

He said: “The Ogoni people are still drinking bad water in the land despite promises upon promises because those in positions of authority-are still playing All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-politics with the Ogoni issues.

“No party sentiments should be brought into Ogoni matter again, APC and PDP will go but the Ogoni matter will remain because our leaders seem to be deceiving us.”

Toba, however, urged the Federal Government to rebuild Ogoni communities with all sincerity if it was still interested in its oil.

He said the ordinary Ogoni people have no clue about the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.

“The UNEP report to the common Ogoni people is a dead project, because nobody knows what is happening, where the money is. The Council on the project implementation has failed the people. All we have are promises and communication but no action,” he added.

Toba, therefore, enjoined the Federal Government not to renew Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) license for OML 11, if it meant well for the Ogoni people.

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