The Kingdom Coordinators Forum of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has described late environmental rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 general elections in Nigeria Chief M.K.O Abiola and the eight Ogoni activists who were killed along with Saro-Wiwa in 1995 as heroes of Nigeria’s democracy.
The MOSOP statement which was signed by the Chairman of the Kingdom Coordinators Forum said “The consequences of Saro-Wiwa’s killing along with 8 other activists in 1995 including Dr. Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen and Baribor Bera no doubt facilitated Nigeria’s return to democracy.”
A statement further said “Nigeria’s democracy could have been thwarted by another military intervention or prolonged military rule but for the ultimatum handed down by the Commonwealth after the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis on November 10, 1995.”
The MOSOP leaders noted that “it is regrettable that Nigeria’s deep rooted injustice has beclouded decision makers who have not considered that demands for self determination for every Nigerian is a fundamental rights which must be respected.
They also said Nigeria should honour people like M.K.O Abiola and Saro-Wiwa who’s life were sacrificed for Nigeria’s democracy.These people meant well for the country and did not mind the cost just to see that we all live a better life, the MOSOP statement continued.
The Coordinators regretted that democratic governance has not pushed Nigeria towards correcting the heap of human rights abuses perpetrated under the military.
“It is regrettable that though Nigeria has acknowledged the innocence of Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues, the country has not considered correcting the wrongs of 1995 by exonerating the nine Ogonis hanged by Abacha and respecting the fundamental rights of the Ogoni people”
Ogoni people are still harassed by Shell and the Nigerian military, the Ogoni environment is still polluted by Shell oil spills and industrial emmissions and our rights as a distict ethnic gruop within Nigeria are not respected, the statement said.
The MOSOP Kingdom Coordinators are constitutionally the Vice-Presidents of MOSOP and coordinate the activities of MOSOP at the local levels in the eight kingdoms of Ogoni.
Source: OgoniNews
