Welcome address presented by Mr. Brother Jones, Chairman, MOSOP Arizona on
behalf of the organization this November 9, 2014 on the occasion commemorating
the 19th anniversary of the judicial hanging of Ken Saro Wiwa and eight of his
compatriots on November10, 1995
Mr. Chairman
Keynote Speaker
Amnesty International, USA
Members, Board of Directors
Members of the Press & Colleagues
All Protocols observed
With honor and humility, I humbly welcome you on behalf of MOSOP, Arizona to this solemn
occasion marking the 19th anniversary of the extra- judicial murder of Ken Saro Wiwa, Africa’s,
foremost environmentalist and eight of his compatriots on November 10, 1995 by the Nigerian
Military in conspiracy with Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company.
Historical Background
Ogoni is located in South-eastern Nigeria with a population density of 954,413 according to the
2007 census gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, May 2007. The area is 650 sq.
Kilometers resulting in a very high population density. The area is richly blessed in oil and
associated gases. In 1958, under the British leadership and permission, Royal Dutch Shell Oil
Company occupied Ogoniland, exploring and exploiting crude oil for the benefit of Nigeria and
the Western World. Although western nations benefit immensely from Ogoni Light Brent
otherwise known as “Bonny Light Brent” including cooking gas, home heating, fuel at the pump,
fueling of combat helicopters and commercial planes, and fueling of ships etc., the Ogoni
people and land benefit from the opposite side of the coin; environmental pollutions through
gas flaring, benzene contaminated waters, acidic and toxic air, resulting in slow death.
Prior to this memorial ceremony, we took inventory of activities in Ogoni homeland and will
report here that things haven’t improved an inch going back twenty five years of Ogoni
struggle. Twenty five years ago the people of Ogoni drew the attention of the world to a plan by
the Nigeria Military and Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company to systematically extinct Ogoni tribe.
The plan was championed by Lt. Col Paul Okontumo and Col. Obi Omayi of the Nigeria Military.
Angered by the bold and non-violent approach orchestrated by the Ogoni people to demand
justice and equity for over 32 years of injustices to them at the time, Nigeria began terrorizing
the Ogoni people and Ogoniland resulting in massive killings of the people in what was termed
“modern day genocide.” The military forcefully occupied Ogoniland and boasted of 250
methods of killing people. Today, the same peculiar problems of environmental degradation,
forceful occupation, and terror remain eminent and unaddressed. For instance, Ekporo in
Eleme in western Ogoni remain under siege by the Ogu Boro People of Okrika since September
2013. Also, the Ban Goi area of Ogoni in western Ogoni remain under siege by the Ibo people of
Abia since the early 1990s.
At various times there have been general outcry from the British Commonwealth, United
Nations, Western nations, and human rights communities on the situation in Ogoniland, but
there has been no concrete and concerted plan in place to remediate Ogoni polluted
environment, gain back parts of Ogoni land forcefully under siege, or help Ogoni people gain
political autonomy within Nigeria. In essence, Ogoni still wallows in the same quack mare and
wants in the mist of plenty since oil was discovered on their land in 1958. On this note, MOSOP
Arizona today are appealing to her friends and the world to back its plan of making Nigeria
draw up solid action plans for the redemption of the Ogoni people and the remediation of the
environment.
Global Campaign
Between 1990 and 1993 the Ogoni people under the leadership of Mr. Ken Saro-Wiwa made
several presentations and representations to Nigeria and the United Nations to halt the
genocide of Ogoni to no avail. Among the just demands of the Ogoni people were and still
remain political freedom within Nigeria, control of their mineral resources, environmental
remediation, and the removal of Shell Oil Company from their land.
The least of these demands were not met instead, on November 10, 1995, the Federal
government of Nigeria in collaboration with Shell Oil Company publicly executed Mr. Ken SaroWiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders through hanging as deterrent to other oil producing
communities in Nigeria who may dare demand justice.
The aftermath of the public hangings and persistent persecution of the Ogoni people led to
thousands of Ogoni people fleeing their homeland in earlier 1995 and taking refuge in
bordering countries in West Africa. A sizeable number of these displaced refugees are still in
the Republic of Benin to this day awaiting help for resettlement to a third country.
Collaborating Ogoni claim
Following the exhibition of the callous nature of Nigeria leadership by the hanging of human
and environmental rights activists including Ken Saro Wiwa, the World Council of Churches
visited Nigeria in 1996. Their findings were made public in December of that year supporting
Ogoni claim of torture by the Nigeria Military and environmental degradation by Royal Dutch
Shell Oil Company.
In 2011, a team of scientist from the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) also visited
and conducted scientific studies in Ogoniland. The UNEP report stated in part “of most
immediate concern, community members of Nisisioken, Ogale are drinking water from wells
that is contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen, at levels over 900 times above the
World Health Organization (WHO) guideline.”
Also, according to the report, 1 in 10,000 Ogonis are at risk of cancerous disease because of
water pollution. The report also concluded that Shell have never applied best practices in
addressing public safety concerns as they explore oil in their host communities. The U.N agency
also reported that, the level of environmental devastation in Ogoni is so severe that it will take
between 25 to 30 years to clean up, if such where to be considered. Surprisingly, up till now
Shell Oil Company and the Nigerian government has refused to clean up Ogoniland and no one
is holding them accountable because of their closeness to Nigerian politics and politicians as
well as their global political rigmarole. Dear friends, please join MOSOP Arizona in asking Shell
Oil and the Nigerian government why Ogoni ecosystem has not been cleansed four years after
UNEP submitted its report.
Our appeal to the world
MOSOP Arizona humbly uses this remembrance of our heroes to appeal to the world to prevail
on the government of Nigeria to clean up and perform a complete environmental remediation
of Ogoniland as recommended by the United Nation Environmental Program (UNEP). This
would halt the rising death toll and the systematic extinction in our motherland.
We also appeal to resettlement agencies and resettlement countries around the world to
consider the resettlement of Ogoni refugees in Republic of Benin on humanitarian ground some
of who have lived in deplorable sub-human conditions since 1996. Their resettlement would
halt untimely death amongst these refugees.
In addition, we live in terrifying times when the fear of disease is prominent among us. We use
this occasion to send messages of condolence to countries and families that is affected by the
Ebola outbreak. We also call on professionals with good conscience to do their upmost by
stepping up their humanitarian fights against the disease as the world would be better without
it.
God bless each and every one of you who are here today to keep alive the memory of Mr. Ken
Saro-Wiwa and all the Ogonis who were extra-judicially executed on November 10, 1995 and
those who died in the hands of the Nigerian government and Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company.
Thank you for listening and let us collaborate to work for humanity.
Signed,
Brother AlebaBari Jones
(Chairman, MOSOP Arizona)