The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has suspended its President, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, from office.

A suspension notice signed by members of the MOSOP Steering Committee and leaders of the six kingdoms and two special areas, including the Deputy President, Fortune Okwa Chuor, and National Publicity Secretary Fegalo Nsuke cited unsatisfactory performance, gross abuse of office, financial misappropriation, lack of accountability and unacceptable personal conduct.

Dated November 3, 2018 and addressed to Pyagbara, the suspension notice reads:

“Dear Mr Pyagbara,

“This letter communicates the decision of the MOSOP Central Committee to suspend you, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, from office as president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) due to your unsatisfactory performance, gross abuse of office, financial misappropriation, lack of accountability and unacceptable personal conduct which has constituted an embarrassment to the Ogoni community.

“The specific issues giving rise to the disciplinary action are:

“1. Under your watch as president of MOSOP, Ogoni has lost its representation at the UNPO. You have failed to fulfill Ogoni commitments at the UNPO and at the moment, there is no Ogoni representation at the UNPO. This violates the very principle of MOSOP to bring to the knowledge of the world, the violations against the Ogoni people. Based on this, we have decided to suspend you from office as president of MOSOP.

“2. In 2015, you nominated one Miss Bolanle Asimilowo to represent Ogoni at the Global Environment Facility in the United States. This is a gross violation of the rights of Ogoni women and our people in general whose privileges you sold out. This is a gross misconduct and abuse of your office as president of MOSOP and a violation of your responsibility to protect Ogoni rights. Based on this, we decided to suspend you as president of MOSOP.

“3. In recent times Shell has been using the state security agents to intimidate, molest and violate Ogoni rights especially the rights of women. You remained silent on these violations even as you have had the opportunity of confronting the management of Shell whose managing director sits with you on the governing council of HYPREP. This shows that we the indigenous people of Ogoni are no longer save under your leadership and that threatens the very essence for which we came together under MOSOP. Based on this, we have decided to suspend you from office.

“4. Despite repeated notification from the Central Committee to summon a congress of the Ogoni people as stipulated by the constitution, you have only convened one(1) congress of the Ogoni people in the past fifteen (15) months. This is in violation of the constitution of MOSOP which stipulates under ARTICLE 5, Section 2 (C) that a congress must hold at least once every 6 months. For this we suspend you from office as president of MOSOP.

“5. In 2016, you received a huge sum from the federal government through the then federal minister for environment, Amina Mohammed, for mobilization for the June 2, 2016 flag off of the Ogoni cleanup in Bodo, Gokana local government area. You have since been unable to account for the funds to the Central Committee. For this we suspend you from office as president of MOSOP.

“6. Your gross mismanagement of MOSOP finances which brought you before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and especially your inability to defend your expenditure which forced you to plead for an out of court settlement and your subsequent signing of a ridiculous agreement with the petitioners has become an embarrassment to the Ogoni people and has ridiculed our organization, MOSOP. For this, we suspend you from office as president of MOSOP.

“7. Since you came into office in 2013, you have failed to present a financial report of the organization before the Central Committee. This violates Article 6 of the MOSOP constitution which demands that financial records of the organization shall be presented to the Central Committee annually. Based on this, we have decided to suspend you from office as president of MOSOP

“8. In line with article 5 sub 3 (c) of the MOSOP constitution on tenure of office, Members of either the Central or Executive Committee shall hold office for three years in the first instance but may be re-elected for another term, elections are overdue to prepare the new leadership expected to take office on January 1, 2019. You have instead attempted to destroy the democratic tenets of MOSOP by failing to constitute an electoral committee that should conduct elections and prepare the new set of leaders in MOSOP. For this reason, we have decided to suspend you.

“You have the right to appeal this suspension to the MOSOP Central Committee and you will be communicated regarding the date and schedule of subsequent Central Committee meetings.”

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