Ogoni Cleanup: Why we still cannot trust the Nigerian soldiers ---Fegalo Nsuke
*Ogoni clean-up
(Nigeria) Fegalo Nsuke
If you have ever been conversant with the story of Nigeria's
Ogoni people, Rivers State, then you will agree with me that when soldiers are deployed to
Ogoniland, you can reasonably conclude that some innocent blood are about to be
spilled.
That has been the story of Ogoni people and the reason the Nigerian
Army can never be trusted each time we get news of its deployment or possible
deployment to Ogoniland.
On Monday June 13, 2017, the Project Coordinator for HYPREP,
Marvin Dekil had told the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria of a plan to deploy
soldiers to Ogoniland to stop the re-pollution of the area through illegal
refining of crude oil.
But I have reasons to doubt Dekil's sincerity and strongly
believe that the planned deployment of soldiers to Ogoniland should have
nothing to do with environmental threats from illegal refiners.
Dekil's real motive of contemplating the invitation of
soldiers into Ogoniland is suspicious given the fact that the HYPREP
Coordinator knows the illegal refiners and have personally engaged them. Dr
Dekil and the illegal refiners had earlier
met and reached a truce on stoppage of illegal refining. why then should
soldiers be invited to deal with people who are so well known to the project
coordinator?
Why invite soldiers to come and terrorize Ogoniland when you
know those causing the trouble and you are so close to them to the extent that
you can hold meetings with them.
Shouldn't the Police and our courts be able to deal with people like this who
are so well known to us?
Why do we always like to engage and reward criminals in this
country and get innocent people to suffer? We pay those who took up arms
against the state yet we cannot provide basic drinking water and electricity
for people like the Ogonis whose resources fund our national budget. We bargain
with looters and set them free, hang people for questioning unfair laws and
policies, we kill people who stand out demanding justice and fairness in our
system while we are not courageous to institute a probe on those who have
looted our public funds and denied us a good life.
In February 2016, prior to the re-run of parliamentary
elections, soldiers were in Ogoniland and left over 30 persons dead including a
pregnant mother, Mrs Ledee, children and traders. Now, as politicians step up
preparations for the 2019 general elections, Dr Dekil plans to invite soldiers
to Ogoniland again.
Could Dekil's real motive not be to aid some persons and
party crush the stronghold of political opposition? Could Dekil really be
looking for illegal refiners he already knows?
*Fegalo Nsuke is Publicity Secretary of Movement for the
Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP
Comments
Post a Comment