An Ogoni group, the Ken Saro-Wiwa Associates (KSWA) has dissociated itself from the endorsement of presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Ogoni ethnic nationality.
The group warned political parties, particularly APC, to stop the politicisation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report, saying that President Goodluck Jonathan’s government has already started the process of implementing the report.
The group took a swipe at Buhari, who, during his recent visit to Ogoniland in continuation of his campaign, promised to “solve all the problems associated with oil exploration in the Niger Delta, including the remediation and restoration of the Ogoni environment.”
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by its national coordinator, Chief Gani Topba, reminded Buhari that he was a federal commissioner of petroleum and head of state at some point and never remembered to solve the problem of Ogoni people.
“Buhari served in the Abacha regime as head of the defunct PTF, which was saddled with the responsibility of cushioning effects to Nigerians of the attendant hardship which the populace faced from that government’s partial removal of subsidy on prices of refined products.”
“There is no evidence that projects were sited in Ogoniland by PTF in spite of the fact that Ogoniland is a major contributor to refined oil and foreign exchange earnings.”
The group also “warned political parties to desist from dragging traditional rulers into partisan politics,” with a particular reference to the visit to King Giniwa Gbenemene Tai, stating that such visits lead to the “demystification of the traditional and chieftaincy institution in Ogoniland and other parts of the country.”
The Saro Wiwa group said apart from the adoption of UNEP report, President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a ministerial/multi-stakeholder committee to review the report and make recommendations for its implementation,” adding, “the president has set up the HYPREP committee as a palliative measure.”
The group blamed Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, who is a close associate of the head of HYPREP committee, Joy Nunieh-Okunnu, an Ogoni person, of not proffering useful advice to her in the running of her administration. (Newswatch Times)