I Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, heartily felicitate with our Ogoni brothers and sisters as you celebrate the 2018 Ogoni Day. I send my profound greetings to the entire Ogoni nation and wish you Happy New Year and a successful celebration.
I recall that on January 4, 1993, the Ogoni nationality rose with one voice, under the aegis of The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, to declare the Ogoni Day and underline the struggle against the exploitation of their natural resources, including a resounding campaign for social, economic and environmental justice through nonviolence.
The Ogoni struggle, as exemplified by the late Ken Saro Wiwa and other prominent Ogoni patriots, is a watershed; a worthy and worthwhile endeavour; an eloquent continuation of the struggles of the late Chief Dappa Biriye, the late Isaac Adaka Boro and our heroes past. The entire Niger Delta and all people of goodwill are therefore in partnership with Ogoni.
I celebrate the Ogoni spirit of resilience, industry, dynamism and love, founded on the principles of peace, justice, equity and fairness. On this occasion of the 2018 Ogoni Day Celebration, I call on Ogoni people to unite and join hands with their other Rivers brothers and sisters to accelerate the actualization of the dreams of the founding fathers of Rivers state.
The great desire today in our dear Rivers state, is for our people to collaborate in a renewed and collective partnership to address the myriad of problems that have destroyed opportunities and turned our people into beggars in their own state.
The environment remains our greatest gift from Mother Nature. The control of our environment and economic independence are inseparable and all hands must be on deck to preserve and protect it for the benefit of our generation and the future generations.
I commend the Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on the very laudable initiative to re-energize the Ogoni clean-up exercise and urge that all efforts must be explored to implement and accelerate the Clean-up process.
Finally, I express my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) for making the great leaders of Ogoni land who came together in 1993, to celebrate the first ever Ogoni Day proud, and sustaining the tenets and spirit of the struggle for over two decades.
Congratulations and Happy Ogoni Day Celebrations.
God Bless the great people of Ogoni
God Bless Rivers state
God Bless Nigeria.
DUMO LULU-BRIGGS
4th January, 2018.