|
City of New York, NY: Resolution Number 1002-A Adopted January 25, 1996 Resolution commending the Nigerian people for their courageous struggle against repression and tyranny, condemning the violent actions of the present Nigerian military dictatorship, calling for the immediate release from prison of Chief Moshood Abiola, calling upon the United States government to take all practical steps, including economic measures, to effect the release of all unjustly detained political prisoners and the restoration of a free press and civilian democratic government in Nigeria, and urging all members of the New York State Congressional delegation to co-sponsor H.R. 2697 and S. 1419 and to work to secure their prompt passage. By Council Members Foster, Duane, Henry, Michels, Spignor and Williams WHEREAS, The nation of Nigeria in West Africa became independent on October 1, 1960 and was declared a republic on October 1, 1963; and WHEREAS, Military governments have ruled the nation since 1966 for approximately 26 out of 30 years; and with two relatively brief intervening periods of civilian rule; and WHEREAS, In June of 1993, a democratic presidential election was held and monitored by national and international observers: and WHEREAS, The election was supposed to end military rule in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, however two separate military dictatorships have prevented the winner of that June 1993 democratic presidential election from assuming office; and WHEREAS, Chief Moshood K. O. Abiola is believed to have won the election, but the military government of Nigeria, then controlled by General Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the vote before formal results were announced and left the country in the hands of a military appointed interim civilian government that was to organize a new election and hand over authority to an elected civilian president by March 31, 1994; and WHEREAS, General Sani Abacha overthrew this transitional government in November 1993, promising to return the country to civilian rule, but has nonetheless continued to rule the country through a military regime; and WHEREAS, Chief Abiola has been in prison since June of 1994, while he awaits trial on charges of treason for proclaiming himself President in 1994 on the anniversary of the 1993 election, and has, according to his personal physician, undergone a serious decline in health since his arrest; and WHEREAS, The reigning military dictatorship has also banned the free press, shot and killed peaceful pro-democracy protesters, and arbitrarily arrested human rights activists, trade unionists and community leaders in an effort to crush the democratic aspirations of the Nigerian people; and WHEREAS, Human rights investigators from such groups as Amnesty International have documented massacres of defenseless communities by the Nigerian Army and the systematic use of murder, torture and rape of pro-democracy activists by government security sources; and WHEREAS, On November 10, 1995 nine activists of the Ogoni tribe, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, a renowned writer, environmentalist and human rights activist, were executed by the military government of Nigeria; and WHEREAS, H.R. 2697 was subsequently introduced in the United States Congress by Representative Donald Payne of New Jersey, as a companion bill to S. 1419 introduced in the Senate, which would impose a barrage of sanctions against Nigeria; and WHEREAS, In 1994, United States oil companies through the purchase of more than $4 billion worth of oil, indirectly financed the dictatorship through taxes and royalties on oil from the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company, thereby undermining the Nigerian democracy movement; and WHEREAS, Oil exports from Nigeria account for more than 90 percent of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings and 75 percent of its budget revenues; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of New York commends the Nigerian people for their courageous struggle against repression and tyranny, condemns the violent actions of the present Nigerian military dictatorship, calls for the immediate release from prison of Chief Moshood Abiola, calls upon the United States government to take all practical steps, including economic measures, to effect the release of all unjustly detained political prisoners and the restoration of a free press and civilian democratic government in Nigeria, and urges all members of the New York State Congressional delegation to co-sponsor H.R. 2697 and S. 1419 and to work to secure their prompt passage. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
