July 21, 2011

Press Statement

RE: REVOCATION OF RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY NOTICE IN RESPECT OF LAND REQUIRED FOR THE SERVICES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA FOR PROPOSED NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PARCELS A AND B AT NYOKURU AND BEERI COMMUNITIES

Members of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has become aware of an advertorial by the Rivers State Government (RSG) published in The Nation Newspaper of Friday, July 15, 2011. The RSG in the advert says it intends to expropriate over 258,954 hectares of land from the Ogoni nation purportedly for overriding public purpose – to wit the development of a new town by the Federal Government.

The advert called on anyone who has right or interest in the expropriated lands to put in their claim within two weeks from the date of the advert. May we remind the state government that many of the affected landowners and farmers, do not have access to national dailies and so would not be aware that the state government is about to take their lands. It is also pertinent to once again call the attention of the government to the fact that there is an intrinsic link between the survival of the Ogoni nation and their lands. It is therefore imperative that in this democratic dispensation, the state government should imbibe and espouse the benefits of wide and adequate consultations in situations where they would deprive communities and individuals of their livelihoods and their ability to survive.

We find it difficult to rationalize government’s insistence on seizing another 258,954 hectares of land in Nyokuru and Beeri communities in Khana local government area of Ogoni immediately after an earlier controversial land grab of over 100,000 hectares spanning Tai and Khana LGAs and which has claimed three innocent lives. We are concerned that government has deliberately ignored the fact that its spate of land seizure in Ogoni would have dire implications on local communities.

MOSOP is aware that the discredited Land Use Act, the abrogation of which the governor himself has championed; vests authority over land in the State Governor. We are however concerned at the tone of the advert and the willingness of the state governor to take advantage of this obnoxious law to deprive communities and individuals of their right to livelihood and survival without transparent and adequate consultation.

This coercive tendency no doubt betrays sinister intent as this appears not to fit into the development agenda of the present national government. It is suspicious that while the story circulated earlier related to an industrial estate, we are now reading about development of a new town. It is on record that past regimes have seized colossal amount of lands from Ogoni communities for new town development only to abandon the project. Besides, huge amount of our lands have been captured for oil and gas production, many others grabbed by past administrations for some other development initiatives but abandoned and are wasting. We condemn this colonizing scramble for Ogoni through land grabbing, which will no doubt generate unmanageable land shortage for local subsistence food production and other uses especially housing development.

Internationally recognized best practice in land resettlement schemes require that when government expropriates lands from communities for overriding public purpose, it must first offer those who have lost lands, an alternative and suitably situated land, acceptable to them and on which they can continue their farming. It also requires that adequate compensation be paid to affected landowners and farmers for crops and other improvements on the land, taking care to compute the life span of perennial crops and the aggregate income landowners and farmers would have earned during the lifespan of such crop. The two weeks time frame set out in the advertorial is certainly grossly insufficient to resolve these issues.

We deplore the unwarranted resort to intimidation, threats and ultimatum aimed at frustrating our weak and disempowered rural folks. Where things are done properly, the time frame would have been flexible enough to accommodate the disadvantaged circumstances of the landowners and farmers. The landowners and farmers are rural dwellers without access to newspapers and thus a two week ultimatum is unrealistic.

Meanwhile, MOSOP has uncovered a plot by some local politicians, chiefs and their friends to destroy the Ogoni apex organization, MOSOP, using state machinery. At a meeting hosted by a high chief in Korokoro village in Tai local government area on Saturday, July 16, 2011, the group reportedly expressed worry at the undying influence of MOSOP in Ogoni and beyond and their inability control the Movement and resolved to destabilize it. It was further reported that they were angered that the body’s strength was not deplored to advance their political agenda and vowed to form an alternative platform that would be more powerful than MOSOP and agreed to consult other like minds, which has already begun.

While MOSOP recognizes the right to freedom of association and thus unopposed to people genuinely coming together, we are concerned about the destructive intent of the group. It is our view that Ogoni development would be better enhanced if we jettison devious sentiments and close ranks. We therefore call on the group to reform its relational attitude and approach as such machinations are no longer fashionable.

However, we are strengthened by the fact that our cause is justifiable and legitimate. And since murderous regimes could not decimate the organization, the current challenge, which is not happening for the first time, is doomed to fail.

On the other hand, MOSOP has reiterated its call for the withdrawal of soldiers from Ogoni farms as since their occupation of the controversial areas, food production has been hampered due to molestation and other abuses including rape and arbitrary detention. Similarly, we urge government to prosecute the police killers of Messrs. Goteh Keenom and Dambani, the Ogoni youths murdered in cold blood at Zor-Sogho on June 12, 2011. Currently, police officers suspected to have killed the leader of the dreaded Boko Hara sect are standing trial for the crime. It will amount to double-standard if ours become different.

Lastly, MOSOP investigations have revealed as false Rivers State Government’s claims to proper consultation in Sogho and Ueken communities with respect to its proposed “banana plantation” and land grabbing interest. In both communities, those that signed the circulated documents were hand-picked loyalists of politicians and some local chiefs with deep relationship with the state administration but have no connection to the controversial farmlands. To strengthen this fact, all the documents alleged to have emerged from Sogho were littered with names of the children of HRM King W.Z.P. Nziidee yet the family the investigation revealed holds no right to the land in issue. In fact all the signees have fled Sogho as the dubious deal became exposed.

Landowners and farmers in Sogho and Ueken indicated that no one whatsoever has ever consulted them. In Ueken last week, a Tai LGA team led by the council chairman, Mr. Gbenekanu Kuanpie was disgraced out of the community. The team had visited to persuade the people to accept and support the state government’s land grabs interest for its banana farm project. The people reportedly roundly condemned their mission and drove them out of Ueken. The question is if proper consultation has been conducted, why did the council team visit Ueken last week and why were they disgraced?

Since the incident above, landowners and farmers identified to have championed the protests are being threatened. Mr. Godfrey Kpoobe’s life has been threatened several times and he is now living fear for his life.

MOSOP would like to reiterate the position of an overwhelming majority in Ogoni including Ueken, Sogho and Okwale that the proposed banana farm project is not in our interest. We therefore suggest that other suitable projects be considered for Ogoni in consultation with the people.

Signed:

Bari-ara Kpalap
Information Officer