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Testimony of Dr. Owens Wiwa Briefing of the Maryland Senate Subcommittee on Economy and Environmental Affairs February 26, 1998 Mr. Chairman, Members of the Economic and Environment Subcommittee, we thank you very much for this opportunity to speak to you today. The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) wishes to thank you for offering it the opportunity to address all of you. MOSOP speaks on behalf of the Ogoni people, it's environment and dignity. MOSOP is a democratic, non-violent, grassroots movement committed to the environmental, economic and democratic rights of the Ogoni and the Nigerian People. On January 4, 1993, Ken Saro-Wiwa led 300,000 Ogoni people in peaceful protest for environmental justice, and for the dignity of the Ogoni people. The non-violent nature of the march signified the quality of leadership of Ken Saro- Wiwa and MOSOP. On February 1994, in an effort to gain international support for the struggle, Ken Saro-Wiwa came to Maryland and did a presentation at the College Park Campus of the University of Maryland. The presentation was on the linkage between environmental awareness, Human rights and democracy in Nigeria, and the dignity of the African. He received a favorable response. I have been fortunate to meet and work with several groups in Maryland on these issues. On November 10, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of our colleagues were executed for a crime they did not commit. The 500,000 Ogoni live on their own land: 404 square miles in the North East of the Niger Delta. In 1958 Shell discovered oil in Ogoni. Since then an estimated 900 million barrels of oil and a very large amount of gas has been extracted from Ogoni territory. In return, the Ogoni people have received a devastated environment and death for those who challenge this injustice. The root of the Ogoni cause lies in the devastation of the Ogoni environment. In this small area there are eight oil fields, and over one hundred oil wells, a mass of oil pipe lines, and four flow stations. Large areas of land have been permanently destroyed as a result of oil blowouts, and contamination by spillage. Over 35 years, the effects of seismic surveys using explosives, and of gas flaring in very close proximity to human habitation, has destroyed our homes and seriously impaired the health of our people. High pressure pipe lines crisscross the surface of our farmland and cut through our villages. The danger from these pipes, often corroded and under great pressure, is immense. Pipe lines regularly explode. Because the Ogoni have dared to stand up, complain and fight against this nightmare in their lands, they have been subjected to systematic human-rights abuses, including judicial and extra-judicial murder of Ogoni men, women and children. Over 2000 people have been killed; 27 villages destroyed; and our people are suffering rape, torture, and detention at the hand of the security forces. Educated, articulate and talented Ogonis are in exile, and our activists are pursued, and our people persecuted. In all this the illegal military dictatorship has the active support of the Shell group Since 1993, the Human Rights Violations by the Nigerian State against the Ogoni People has taken genocidal proportions. It is planned, systematic and the statistics are shocking. More than 400,000 unarmed Ogoni Children, women and men have been displaced from their homes for at least one week due to the military raids in the villages. 1 out of every 10 male adult has had money extorted from him at gun point by Military personnel. I out of every 15 adult has been illegally detained. The average length of stay in illegal detention is 14 days. 90% of those Ogoni women and men detained are tortured. Over 2000 Ogoni men, women and children have been murdered by State agents. The systematic rape of our mothers and sisters by the Military dictators is too dehumanizing for me to put a figure to. Presently, I out of every 3 Ogoni professional are in refugee camps in the Republic of Benin being taken care of by the United Nations High commission for Refugees. The United States Government recognizes the persecution and has given 30 families asylum. We are grateful. The gross abuse of human rights by the Nigerian Dictatorship does not stop in Ogoni. Some of the Greatest minds in Africa are either locked up or sent into the indignities of exile. The arrest of journalists, the rape of our mothers and sisters and the disappearance of our colleagues has dehumanized the society and has reduce men and women to beasts of burden. We deserve better. The military dictators have been able to get away with all these human right violation because of the tremendous support they get from oil corporations . This year marks the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Universal declaration of Human Rights. It is morally imperative that this system, whereby corporation act as pillars of dictatorship should be brought to an end. The state of Maryland can save the lives and dignity of millions of people in my country if companies are persuaded not to fund the Military dictators in Nigeria. The Senate bill 354, if passed into Law, will be of tremendous help to stop these indignities, make possible the attainment of genuine democracy where business will flourish without killing people where the environment will survive greed and double standards. The decisions which you make today after this briefing may change my country towards the path of democracy. It would divert the Nigeria Military Dictators and their partner-(SHELL) from their path of subversion, a path which has led them to support corrupt practices, the suppression of human rights, the flouting of the rule of law, murder and possibly the genocide of the Ogoni people or Nigerians in general. You would vigorously oppose such practices in America: I am asking for your help to put an end to these practices in in Nigeria, my homeland in Africa. In conclusion, the Ogoni people respectfully request the following of Representatives of the people of Maryland to pass the senate Bill s 354. Thank you very much for your patience. I would answer any questions, you might have. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
