The Committee of Ogoni Leaders of Thought (COLT) criticized the Nigerian National
Political Reform Conference on February 20 for excluding the Movement for the
Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and other minority groups. The conference,
also called the 2005 Nigerian Confab, began February 21 and will continue for
three months. In his conference inaugration speech, President Olusegun Obasanjo
stated the goal of the conference is to "open boundless opportunities for
all Nigerians to be, and to feel, that they are part of the evolving political
process and socio-economic advancement."
According to Vanguard, COLT stated "the composition of the delegates
confirm the belief of the Ogoni people that the minorities have no place in
Nigeria." COLT’s representatives stated that unrepresented minority
groups cannot be bound by decisions made at the conference.
