“Every child that refuses to see his father’s house collapsing in the hand of a stranger, will come back one day and see nowhere to call his home”.
After seeing what the Ogonis are suffering in the hand of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Kenule Beesor Saro-Wiwa decided to call other Ogoni elite to bring to limelight the suffering of the Ogonis in the challenge of environmental devastation, oil exploration on Ogoniland.
Based on this, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) was formed to use the platform to fight the course of the Ogoni people in 1990.
MOSOP is a medium or voice through in which the Ogonis to speak their minds to the world.
The founding fathers of MOSOP especially Kenule Beesor Saro-Wiwa had good intentions for the betterment of Ogoni people, but is the now MOSOP leadership still having same good intentions Ken Saro-Wiwa was having before calling on the other elite of Ogoni to form an organization and social movement group to actualize the purpose of fighting the course of the Ogoni people?
In course of fighting for the rights of the Ogoni people, enmity was formed. All the neighbouring villages in and outside the creek was out for war with the Ogonis. It was a trial time or hard time for the Ogoni sons and daughters within and outside Ogoniland. To a large extent, they were not able to express themselves outside Ogoniland for fear of being killed.
Because of this struggle, many people lost their lives, mothers lost their children, who were suppose to be their strength at old age, relatives lost their loved ones that were their breadwinners, wives lost their husbands that were their breadwinners, crown and joy and became widows, husbands lost their wives and become widowers, children lost their parents and become orphans, making lives difficult for these people.
Many people not only lost their loved ones but also lost their homes, as well became homeless and as a result become beggars.
Such a traumatic picture or image in the mind of the Ogonis wouldn’t have allowed any son or daughter to politicize the struggle of the Ogoni people.
The dream of MOSOP is to give better life to the Ogoni nation but the current leadership is looking for what to benefit or wealth to acquire through MOSOP.
In the process of forming MOSOP to actualize its purpose for the struggle, an Ogoni anthem was created which sing thus: Aake, Aake pya Ogoni aake, me ile yira ko nyoue, azia i, noo kpa, noo kpa, pya Ogoni noo kpa, me ile yira ko nyoue, azia i. meaning arise Ogoni people arise don’t allow the world to cheat on you. Be educated, be educated, and don’t allow the world to cheat on you.
Ogoni mothers are using the Women Focus to speak their minds that same children that they were telling them to arise and be educated are the ones, using their education to intimidate the course of the Ogoni struggle.
The more any Ogoni son has the opportunity on the corridor of power, the more he will want to use such power for his personal interest, forgetting that so much blood had been wasted in Ogoniland.
The Ogoni mothers are crying that their children, husbands, loved ones that were supposed to be their hope and future lost their lives in the process of this struggle and while hoping to see the realization of MOSOPs’ dream, the Ogoni political leaders are playing politics with the lives of innocent blood of Ogoni that had been wasted.
Ogoni mothers also warn that anybody playing politics with the Ogoni struggle is playing with the blood of the Ogonis that has been shade so far in the land. And such blood will come crying, demanding for accountability. Also advise that things should be done in the right way and with the right mind, mind of the founding fathers. ###
EDITH NSE FRIDAY
08025293937
fridaynse@yahoo.com
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