Ogoni Group Disassociates Self From Planned Protest
By Daniel Abia
P/Harcourt
President of the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority, Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, said that he has disassociated the Ogoni people and himself from the plan linked to some groups operating in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State in readiness to stage a state-wide protest.
In a statement signed by his special adviser on media, Tambari Deekor on Sunday, November 8, 2015, the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority, OCIA, President urged the Nigeria Police Force to be on the alert to protect lives and property.
Diigbo also alerted the Ogoni people to be prepared to act in “self-defence”, if threatened, or attacked.
“This is a solemn period for the Ogoni people. We do not, and never before used this period of remembrance of the hanging of the Ogoni Nine for protest. We use this time to remember, and honor our heroes past,” Diigbo stated.
According to him, “those groups” making these threats do not speak for Ogoni. The Ogoni people do not know them. We have no agreement with them. We do not endorse their protest. We do not know what they are planning. And for recklessly threatening “blows and missiles”, whatever that mean, cannot be ignored or treated as a joke. They must stay out of Ogoniland.”
He said they must be restrained to avoid bloodshed.
He called on all well-meaning people of Ogoni to participate in the November 10 observance as usual at Ken Saro-Wiwa Peace and Freedom Center, Bori. This year is the 20th anniversary.
Nine Ogoni activists were hanged on November 10, 1995 for demanding for Environmental Impact Assessment Study and self-government, otherwise called political autonomy, or self-determination.
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