Ogoni group rejects kai Buhari The Ken Saro Wiwa Associates (KSWA), a pressure group in Ogoniland, Rivers state has faulted the claim that the Ogoni people have endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, for the February election. It was reported, last Friday, that the four local government areas in Ogoniland had pledged their unanimous support for Buhari in the forthcoming elections. However, KSWA warned political parties, particularly APC, to stop politicising the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland, saying the President Goodluck Jonathan administration had started the process of implementing the report. The group chided Buhari, who, during his recent visit to Ogoniland in continuation of his campaign, had promised to “solve all the problems associated with oil exploration in the Niger Delta, including the remediation and restoration of the Ogoni environment.” KSWA, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, by its national coordinator, Chief Gani Topba, on Wednesday, reminded the APC presidential candidate that he was a federal commissioner of petroleum and Head of State at some point and never remembered to solve the problem of the Ogoni people. “Muhammadu Buhari was at different times Federal Commissioner of Petroleum Resources and Head of State of Nigeria under whose watch the harmful environmental degrading industry practices were in place. “Yet, he did not do anything at the time to align industry standards with best practices in the world, in spite of the clamour by Niger Delta activists like Harold Dappa Biriye and Isaac Adaka Boro. “Buhari served in the General Sani Abacha regime as head of the defunct PTF, which was saddled with the responsibility of cushioning the 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 cited in Ogoniland by PTF, in spite of the fact that Ogoni is a major contributor to refined oil and foreign exchange earnings”, the statement read. The group also warned political parties to desist from dragging traditional rulers into partisan politics with a particular reference, saying such acts increase “the demystification of the traditional and chieftaincy institution in Ogoniland and other parts of the country.” Meanwhile, traditional chiefs and leading politicians of Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Tuesday, announced their endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Nyesom Wike, for the forthcoming elections in the state. According to a statement issued by Wike’s media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, the leaders said they were endorsing the PDP candidate due to the neglect of Omuma Local Government Area, allegedly by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state. Speaking during the PDP governorship rally held in Omuma, member representing Omuma at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Kelechi Nwogu, said the decision to vote en-masse for Wike was borne out of the fact the people urgently need redemption in view of the state of infrastructure. He said the people resolved to support Wike because they believe he would practice inclusive development as the state governor, adding, “APC cannot thrive in Omuma because the people have never benefitted from any state government project.” In the same vein, the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Omuma/Etche Federal Constituency, Chief Jerome Eke, said that the people of the constituency would vote PDP candidates across the board. Addressing the rally, the PDP governorship candidate, in company of his running mate, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Banigo, regretted the neglect that Omuma people had suffered, saying that he would address all their infrastructural challenges. “I will develop Omuma Local Government Area. My programme for this local government area is to build the security of the community to attract development; construct a general hospital; construct a road to the local government to link the area to the state capital. “I will develop a water supply system to improve the living condition of the people. The people of Omuma cannot afford to waste any vote on the APC. You must vote PDP beginning from the Presidential election. The party will deliver development to all Rivers people”, he said. via Nigerian Tribune
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:08:41 +0000
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