By Davies Iheamnachor
PORT HARCOURT — Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, and Ogoni Youths Federation, OYF, have condemned an alleged plan by the Federal Government to build a maximum prison and cemetery in Ogoni land.
President of MOSOP, Legborsi Pyagbara, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, noted that the Federal Government had already acquired over 41 hectares of land for the purpose.
He said: “The attention of MOSOP has been drawn to a new plan by the Federal Government to build a maximum security prison facility with modern cemetery in Ogoniland.
“This move, MOSOP authoritatively gathered, had been concluded by the Federal Ministry of Interior and will involve the seizure of over 41 hectares of land in Bori, Ogoni where arable land had been conspicuously difficult to find.
“MOSOP wishes to state categorically that we vehemently condemn and are opposed to this plan being hatched by the Federal Government against the Ogoni people.
“It is so unfortunate that the biggest social events these days in Ogoniland are only burial ceremonies occasioned by the scientifically proven unprecedented pollution of Ogoni caused by reckless exploitation.
“We deeply bemoan the failure of the Federal Government to institute a proper clean-up and remediation of Ogoni environment to halt the increasing death of our people rather than being served with a new plot of a devious arrangement of prison and cemetery.”
Also, President of Ogoni Youth Federation, OYF, Yamaabana Legborsi, expressed worries, saying it was unfortunate that while the people were still battling with the pollution of their environment,the Federal Government had remained insensitive to plight.
Legborai said: “We urge the Federal Government to site such project in the North-East where killing and all sort of heinous crimes occur daily. What the Ogoni people need from the government now is the restoration of the contaminated land, genuine investment that will create job opportunities for Ogoni youths and building of Ogoni Centre of Excellence as recommended by UNEP and not the building of maximum security prison and cemetery.
“We call on friends of Ogoni and the international community to prevail on Nigerian government to jettison the planned building of maximum prison and cemetery. Ogoni youths will vehemently resist it.”
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