The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), in a statement signed and released by its Publicity Secretary, Fegalo Insuke, on Tuesday claimed that an indigenous oil company, Belema Oil Producing Limited has been involved in a plan to sustain tension in Ogoniland, by encouraging violent conflicts, while pushing an Ijaw expansionist agenda.
The group said the company is perfecting the continuous land acquisition and territorial expansion of the Ijaw nation against the Ogoni communities, around the border regions of Tai and Gokana Local Government Areas of the state.
The statement reads; ”This plot is been hatched through the sponsorship of porous groups agitating for the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, to incite Ogonis against one another and possibly cause a communal war in Ogoni, while his kinsmen bordering Ogoni communities in Gokana and Tai Local Government Areas, continue with their expansionist programme of terrorism and forceful land grabbing.
”MOSOP is dismayed that while the Ogoni people have repeatedly rejected the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, Belema Oil continues to fund groups and individuals to sustain internal division in Ogoni, while the Ijaw communities bothering Ogoniland are increasingly expanding their territories and forcefully taking over Ogoni lands”.
The statement warned those bent of resuming oil operations in the area to steer clear, threatening to resist such attempts.
”We are deeply concerned about the activities of Belema Oil in Ogoniland and will once again urge the company and all others pushing their way to forcefully resume oil production in Ogoni to desist from these acts as the Ogoni people will strongly resist all such moves.”
BY BADMUS SHINA
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