ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF CHIEF MIKE LUBE NWIDOBIE ON HIS SWEARINNG IN CEREMONY AS MOSOP PRESIDENT BY HRM KING GNK GININWA JP AND SUPREME COUNCIL OF OGONI TRADITIONAL RULERS COUNCIL Today the 11th January 2016.
Your Royal Majesties
Other Recognized Traditional Rulers
KAGOTE leaders
Our Political Leaders
Community leaders
Our Spiritual Leaders
Ogoni Mother’s and Youth
Distinguish members of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Today is an auspicious day in the life of MOSOP and the entire Ogoni nation. First I like to thank God almighty for a new dawn in MOSOP. I also thank our Royal Father, His Majesty King GNK Gininwa JP, for his tireless commitment to the advancement of the course of the Ogoni Nation. May I passionately welcome all distinguish leaders and guest here present.
We have gathered here today to witness the sustenance of an enduring legacy. Over 23 years ago, Our forebears began this journey back to an Ogoni flowing with milk and honey. The stories of our collective travails are not new. We refuse to look back at our sodom but are resolute to keep the faith in the ultimate victory for a socio-politicallly liberated and an economically empowered Ogoni.
Let me thank the good people of Ogoni who expressed their abiding confidence in my team by voting overwhelmingly in the last MOSOP congress election. On behalf of my executive council and affiliates I thank also the electoral committee for their prompt resolve to bail a situation that may have truncated our calender for transition in MOSOP. We have moved past that situation and have gladly put it behind us. We enjoin all our brothers and sister to join hand with us as we work assiduously to uphold the tenets of this ideology that our forebears handed to us.
This shoe is big considering the strides of my predecessors. I and my team are however resolute to keep the flag flying. We have observed our collective weaknesses and with this, hope to develop a great strength for a collaboration with other leadership bodies towards advancing Ogoni. Our Bible, the Ogoni Bill of Right has set a broad road map to the crafting of our aspirations in the direction of political emancipation, socio-cultural development, economic empowerment and environmental revival. We will concert effort with all leaders in the clinical study of these bills with the desire to develop an all purpose Ogoni agenda adaptable by all in representative capacity.
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My tenure will witness a new dawn in the symbiotic relationship needed between the traditional fathers, KAGOTE and MOSOP. Today marks the beginning of new frontier for the rapid development of Ogoni. No longer shall the inordinate ambition of one man fan the embers of division and pull a fanatic cloak over the people yet maintain a self serving scheme that see us stagnate rather than progress. We will engage collectively and obtain informed consent of all leaders in our interaction and stand over sensitive issues that relates to our ethnicity.
We have almost eroded the mystic associated with our obeisance of November 10th and January 4th every year due to lack of innovations. My leadership will explore new ways to making these sacred days truly a global discourse. While we maintain the core symbolisms of these days, we must seek to deepen the consciousness underlying these celebrations and commemorations respectively.
Ogoni is a distinct ethnicity with an estimated population of over 1.5 million people situated in six kingdoms namely: Ken Khana, Babbe, Nyokhana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme. Ogoni have great potentials ranging from human capital to natural resources. It is believed that an harness of these resources in Ogoni through strategic alliances with willing development partners will see Ogoni on the next pedestal of devellopment.
We have made some achievements, especially on our demand for the implementation of the UNEP study report. We are yet expecting full implementation, we however commend the directive of President Muhammad Buhari for the set up of board of trustee and Governing Board for the implementation. We appeal therefore for the speedy inauguration of the boards so that response can commence on the continuous deteriorating environment of Ogoni. We must therefore refrain from statements that can be counter productive but deploy alternative and charitable methods of persuading the government to work it’s word.
We had expressed hope in the last transition under several political parties that the political aspirations of the Ogoni would be met. We had launched our Ogoni Project 2015 as a vehicle that convey the depth of our aspiration. Our experience was not pleasant. we have however resolved to keep faith in a more politically sensitive Nigeria who would guarantee political justice. We expect succeeding government to redress this denial through first charge considerations in the appointment of Sons and Daughters of Ogoni into positions of governnment
We had maintained that culture and language is a people’s identity. Ogonis need to sustain her effort at saving our language and culture from extinction. We will collaborate and explore opportunities available for support for the development of these vital components of our existence.
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Finally, I enjoin all affiliates and kingdom leadership to key into the vision of this leadership. 3 years begins now and we can not afford any lull. I will be very accessible and willingly listen to all meaningful suggestions that will move Ogoni forward. Note that we must give account of our stewardship at periodic intervals to help for periodic evaluation. Let us all work for peace as it is the panaccea for meaningful development. Let our youth shun criminality but seek to be meaningfully engaged. Let our chiefs be proactive rather than reactionary in their service of leadership. Let our political leaders be trully selfless and patriotic in their utility of the people’s mandate. We have no other place like Ogoni. Once again thank you all.
Wishing Ogoni Land a happy, prosperous and stable 2016.
Long live Ogoni land
Long live Rivers State
Long live. Nigeria
Chief Mike-Lube Nwidobie
MOSOP President.
