By Ochiaka Ugwu
The Nigerian Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara (NMLWS), an umbrella body of peoples committed to the decolonization of Western Sahara may have concluded plans to picket Nigerian companies receiving Saharawi minerals from Morocco which they termed illegal.
The group in a press conference addressed yesterday in Abuja, the leader of the group, Oladipo Fashina said that after giving notice to Nigerian companies dealing in Western Sahara’s resource, they will picket them across the country and bring them to court.
His words, “Ladies and Gentlemen, our history as a people, sense of morality and fairness does not permit us to be silent in the face of tyranny, subjugation and exploitation of a people. Our three main religions; the African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity do not permit that the head of the weak be crushed, or, stealing be accepted under any guise.
“So, we put all those dealing in stolen Western Sahara natural resources including their fishes on notice that they cannot continue to do business as usual.
“After giving this notice to the Nigerian companies dealing in stolen Western Sahara resources, we will picket them across the country and bring them before our courts. This also includes super markets selling sardines and fishes from Morocco, because 92 percent of these fishes are stolen from the Western Sahara coast.
“It is in furtherance of this, we have invited these lawyers to meet, exchange ideas and plot our legal strategies and commence legal actions” he said.
Also speaking, a Human Right Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) informed they have decided to take the legal battle to the doorsteps of the exploiters saying that the importance was to warn such parties currently receiving phosphate to cancel such agreements.
Falana said that Article 20 and 21 of African Charter of Human Right gave every territory the right to control its natural resources.
The European Lawyer for the Liberation of Western Sahara, Mr. Maitre Gilles Devers noted that Morocco has no right of sovereignty over Western Sahara but occupying it illegally.
