The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) on Friday suspended three members of its youth wing.

Speaking on the suspension, Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, said the youths were suspended indefinitely due to their anti-Ogoni activities. He said the suspended youths have acted in violation of the principles and tenets of MOSOP.

Nsuke explained that while considering the report of a disciplinary committee setup to investigate the activities of the former NYCOP leaders, the Central Committee pardoned all others except the three suspended members. The Central Committee considered that all others being investigated had apologised and sought pardon for their actions except these three suspended members.

Nsuke said apart from their tendency towards violence, members of the Central Committee felt very strongly about the position the three suspended members took against a protest called by MOSOP against Shell on August 4 and other anti-Ogoni activities

While the Ogoni people had set out for a demonstration against Shell's incursion into the area without discussions with the people on August 4, Emmanuel Barinuazor had gone to the press to distance himself and the NYCOP executive from the protest.

The Central Committee of MOSOP considered such actions to be gross insubordination and intolerable. The Central Committee reasoned that it needed to enforce discipline against members who rise against the common interests of the Ogoni people. Hence the decision to suspend the three got an overwhelming support.

Nsuke explained that, since the Central Committee being the highest decision-making organ of MOSOP has passed the suspension on these three, it is final and only the Central Committee can reverse itself.

He said MOSOP will henceforth not tolerate actions that jeopardise the interest of the Ogoni people and will not hesitate to enforce the constitutional provision for discipline as provided by Article 12 of the MOSOP Constitution which empowers the Central Committee to discipline any officer, member organisation or member thereof found to have engaged in activities inimical to the progress of the organisation.

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