The President of MOSOP, Comrade Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, is now an Ogoni chief. He was honoured during a town hall meeting in Kegbara Dere in Gokana Local Government Area on Monday, January 30, 2017. The town hall meeting was organised as part of community sensitisation for the Ogoni cleanup programme.

Speaking during the town hall meeting in Kegbera Dere (simply called K-Dere), Chief Pyagbara noted the peculiar place of the K-Dere people in the cleanup exercise. He assured the people of fair treatment during the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.

Pyagbara said: “K-Dere has one of the worst oil spill records in Nigeria. He said: “The first place I got to know of and saw an oil spill site was in K- Dere.”

Assuring the Ogoni people of government commitment to implement the UNEP Report on Ogoniland, Pyagbara said: “We have reason to believe the government is committed to the implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoniland. All the structures have been set up and we are now progressing towards implementing the emergency measures including provision of water, improvement in the health care delivery system and infrastructural development.”

The MOSOP President assured the Ogoni people that the benefits of the cleanup will get to every Ogoni child, woman and man. From the clean environment, to job creation, small business development and infrastructural development, the Ogoni cleanup will benefit us all, he said.

The MOSOP president therefore called for the co-operation of all Ogonis for the success of the programme especially the maintenance of peace in our communities.

He expressed appreciation to the people for honouring him with a chieftaincy title “Mene Feefeelo”, “meaning, king of Peace” and called on them to maintain the peace in their communities during and after this period.

In his response, the paramount ruler of the community assured the President of MOSOP of the people’s support and joy to have him in their midst and urged him to ensure the K-Dere people get a fair treatment during the cleanup exercise. The council of chiefs led by the paramount ruler subsequently honoured the MOSOP leader, Saro Pyagbara, with the chieftaincy title of “King of Peace in Ogoniland”.

As part of its peace building efforts and community sensitisation programme, MOSOP has been conducting town hall meetings in Ogoni communities especially in the areas to be directly affected by the cleanup exercise. Some of the communities already visited include Kwawa, Kpean, Buan in Khana local govenment area, Nornwa, Korokoro, Ban-Ogoi in Tail local government area, Ebubu, Agbi (Nsisiokken), Ogale in Eleme local government area and Bodo in Gokana local government area.

The MOSOP president was accompanied on the visit by the Secretary of MOSOP, Anthony Porole, the Publicity Secretary, Fegalo Nsuke, the Financial Secretary, Theo Dike, the Media Assistant to the MOSOP president, Bari-ala Kpalap and the S.A. on Security to the MOSOP President, Prince Biira.

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