A coalition of civil society organisations on November 19, 2024, lauded the federal government’s initiative of to begin a new relationship with the Ogonis by the recognition of the nine Ogoni martyrs.
The position of the coalition is contained in a statement issued on their behalf by Miss Kome Odhomor, Media/Communications Lead at Health of Mother Earth Foundation.
The statement reads: “As frontline civil society organizations focused on environmental justice, we are delighted that the president has deemed it appropriate to honour the memory of these martyrs of ecological struggle.
“We are particularly delighted that the oresident recognizes that they were murdered because they fought to protect their environment from harmful oil extraction activities that had polluted their lands and rivers, and poisoned their people.
“For clarity, it is important to note that the Nigerian military junta headed by General Sani Abacha authorised the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.
“The nine were instrumental in mobilising Ogonis under the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and had issued a set of demands contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, which included calls to the Nigerian Government to clean up the Ogoni environment and restore the livelihoods of the indigenous people who had suffered decades of reckless oil extraction by Shell.
“MOSOP had called global attention to the poverty, neglect and environmental destruction which decades of oil exploitation had bequeathed the Ogoni people.
“MOSOP demanded fairer benefits to the Ogoni people from oil exploration, as well as remediation and compensation for the ecological damage caused by the activities of Shell.
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“Their selfless mobilization and campaigning led to the 1993 expulsion of Shell from Ogoniland.
“The statement by the president is the first time since the unfortunate events of 1995, that a government has admitted to the injustice of the killings and repression of the Ogonis.
“However, it is important that the president goes further in this effort at reconciliation and justice. What we continue to demand is the complete exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni eight.
“This is the only strategy that will bring closure to the thousands of Ogonis who were victims of government-driven repression characterized by murder, rape, torture and forced exile.”
The coalition is made up of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, We the People,
Corporate Accountability and Popular Participation Africa, and People’s Advancement Centre.
Others are Kabetkeche Women Development Resource Centre and Lekeh Development Foundation.
