The leadership of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) is said to have been engulfed in crises as some group members seem to have lost confidence in the president of the group, Legborsi Pyagbara.
The group is said not to be comfortable with the president and the processes leading to the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland.
There is also accusation by some members of the group that Pyagbara is breaching the constitution of the organisation by receiving and disbursing money without making use of appropriate channels.
According to reports, MOSOP Deputy President, Dr Fortune Chujor, is said to have on September 2, wrote to Pyagbara asking him to resign as MOSOP president for breaking the constitution of the association.
In the acclaimed letter entitled, “Gross Administrative Misconduct, Fundamental Breaches of MOSOP Constitution and High Handedness,” Chujor had contended that MOSOP president must give account of the huge amount he received from the Federal Ministry of Environment on behalf of the group for the launching of the Ogoni clean-up exercise.
“I hate to say funds for our organisation are misappropriated, but we are fully convinced that until and unless Pyagbara is ready to honour MOSOP constitution which is a proper theoretical basis for our organisation, I will be forced to talk about the noxious cycle of un approved expenditures, deceit and sleight of hand especially on the huge amount of money collected by Pyagbara on behalf of MOSOP from the Federal Ministry of Environment for launching of Ogoni UNEP Report on June 2, 2016 and other undisclosed funds collected by him on behalf of MOSOP.
“I demand that Pyagbara should explain to MOSOP how and where he gets funding for all international and local travels made by him on behalf of MOSOP. Let it be known to Ogoni people that Pyagbara single-handedly nominated himself into the governing council of HYPREP just for his personal gains and not for the interest of the Ogoni struggle.
“I make bold to say so because MOSOP is supposed to nominate any credible and respected Ogoni son or daughter into the HYPREP governing council, while Pyagbara as MOSOP President is supposed to lead MOSOP as the watchdog on the implementation of the Ogoni UNEP report. I therefore call for the immediate resignation of his position as MOSOP president since he is now a member of the HYPREP governing council.
“I maintain in clear terms that the leadership (Executive Committee) of MOSOP must remain the alter ego of the Ogoni struggle and its president must not and should not accept any political appointment from government institutions or agencies,” the latter read in part.
However, Media Adviser to the MOSOP president, Bari-ara Kpalap, has denied knowledge of such involving Pyagbara and his deputy. He said there was no crisis in MOSOP.
By Ebere Ndukwu …
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