The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report has caused a rift in the ranks of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) as a faction yesterday turned its back on the 30 –day ultimatum given to the federal government by the Ledun Mitee-led faction of the group.
In the ultimatum, MOSOP had urged the federal government to commence the full implementation of the report on oil spills in Ogoniland in Rivers State.
The people of Ogoni had, in an eight-point communiqué issued at the end of a special congress held during the weekend and signed by MOSOP president, Mr. Ledum Mitee given government the ultimatum and insisted that the proposed clean up of the Ogoni environment should not be anything less than the approach adopted in the Gulf of Mexico in terms of expertise and commitment.
Reacting to the ultimatum in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, the MOSOP faction, led by Hon. Goodluck Diigbo dissociated the body from the ultimatum, describing Mitee, who signed the communiqué as a former president of MOSOP.
“The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People MOSOP hereby disassociates itself from a statement purportedly issued by former MOSOP President, stipulating 30 day ultimatum for action on the UNEP Ogoniland report.
“While MOSOP wants immediate action, MOSOP hopes that the United Nations and all stakeholders will study the report to trigger immediate and further action within reasonable time-frame.
“MOSOP expects that relevant universal guidelines set out for an effective Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIAS) will be taken into account in the process. MOSOP remains seized of the subject matter,” it said.
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