Ogoni Dialogue Committee: Uncertainties of the past are paving way to a new and prosperous Ogoni - Fegalo

.....says the struggles have not been in vain

.....Commends President Tinubu for mandating the dialogue process via the office of the NSA

 

The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Fegalo Nsuke has expressed confidence with the “new hope ignited on January 21, 2025 with the formation of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee following the directive by Mr. President, Bola Ahmed, Tinubu, mandating the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu to enter into dialogue with the Ogoni People. This was followed by extensive engagements within Ogoni leading to the recommendations submitted to Mr. President by the Ogoni Dialogue Committee on 24^th September, 2025.”

Mr. Fegalo in an address delivered at the Ogoni National Rally held at the Bera Central Field, Gokana Kingdom, Ogoni, On August 1, 2026 recalled that in the past “36 years, we have been on this journey, in search for freedom, development, peace and happiness. That journey had been very costly; however, the circumstances in which lived compelled us to challenge the system that threatened our very existence.”

According to him, “many of us, seated here today, were victims of that sad history. You were bruised;
you lost your loved ones and many of you are yet to recover from the scars of those brutal years of state repression. However, your struggles have not been in vain.”

“Today, I have the confidence to tell you that the story has changed; the uncertainties of the past are paving way to a new and prosperous Ogoni” Fegalo said.

Excerpt of the address reads:

The dialogue process marked a significant turnaround in our struggle to secure a better future for our people. In our 36 years of active resistance against the Nigerian oil industry, this is the first and only Nigerian regime that has initiated and committed to an Ogoni-driven dialogue process rather than the traditional attempts to force oil drilling activities in our land without proper consideration for the concerns of the Ogoni people.

We are compelled to embrace this people-centered dialogue process and particularly commend Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his peaceful disposition in the handling of this delicate issue.

We also appreciate the efforts of the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu for his strong commitment to the dialogue process. History will remember you, sir, for these record-breaking achievements and for championing the resolution of what has become one of Nigeria’s most embarrassing records of human rights violations.

I will also want to use this opportunity to thank our forebears whose commitments, investments and sacrifices even at the risk of their personal safety committed to, and sustained the struggle during our most challenging moments. The strength of our movement today may have been significantly depleted if not for your commitments and sacrifices. History will never forget your role in protecting the future of the Ogoni people.

My dear Ogoni people, we are beginning to see the most positive signs of government commitment to resolve the Ogoni problem in a way that accommodates the concerns of the Ogoni people. We appreciate this turn of events and encourage the government to speed up the process with clarity so that we can finally put this sad history behind us with a speedy match into a brighter future.

I call on you, the real champions of the Ogoni struggle, who by the special grace of God, still live, to reflect on, and to understand that while we are yet to conclude on-going discussions with the government on a framework to implement our demands and development needs, we cannot opt to further prolong the conflict when other parties to the conflict are opting for dialogue with a hand of friendship.

I wish to remind you that “In a non-violent struggle, there is no better alternative to dialogue”. To use the words of former President, Muhammadu Buhari, in his inaugural speech after taking office as Nigeria’s president in 2015, “We have an opportunity, let us take it”. I urge you to unite and let us collectively take this opportunity, and make the best out of it.