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Contractors Return To Ogoni with Violence On the eve of the innaugration of General Obasanjo as President of Nigeria road contract work to link Shell's Bonny Island oil terminal with Port Harcourt has led to a vicious assault against protesters from local communities. "The conduct of Dumez(Nig) and the complete failure of the relevant authorities to carry out their duties indicate the mockery made of human rights in the Niger delta", said Menegbon Deeka speaking for MOSOP from Port Harcourt. "It is an added insult that just 3 weeks ago this industrial project was presented as part of an aid package to the Niger Delta without any prior consultation with the Ogoni people. We hope that the incoming government and the international community will now understand how little has changed in the conduct of companies operating in the Delta." " We are frustrated by the use mechanisms such as the Land Use Decree [to be retained in the pending constitution] to justify these flagrant abuses of power. Contrary to the claims of some leaders there is a continuing cycle of violence against communities who show any opposition to those exploiting the resources of the Niger delta." Extract from Incident Report Dumez (Nig) Limited, a road construction company given the job of constructing the road linking Bonny Island Oil terminal with Port Harcourt through Ogoni, used thugs to inflict serious injuries on peaceful protesters from Ogoni, Friday 21st May 1999. Tension rose in Gokana ( a kingdom in Ogoni) when on April 26, the company started destroying newly planted crops of local farmers without thinking of paying adequate compensation for the crops and without doing an Environmental Impact Assessment (E.I.A) study for the road project, as demanded by the Movement for the survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Local farmers then demonstrated peacefully and asked the company to stop work, Wednesday 28th April, 1999. It was surprising to the people that after confessing ignorance and inviting the Federal Ministry of Works which promised E.I.A before the work could progress, Dumez went ahead to continue the destruction of the crops of the already impoverished farmers, 19th and 20th of May. Local people then went to the site to protest and demand for the stoppage of work, May 21st. Unknown to the protesters, some thugs were hiding in the bush to give "protection" to the company. As the protesters numbering about one hundred approached the work site, the thugs armed with clubs, dagger, axes, machetes, broken bottles and other dangerous weapons came out carrying green leaves ( in the usual Ogoni non-violent style ). At the end, more than ten person lay critically injured. When those injured in the attack were taken to the hospital by Dumez they told staff to detain the injured "to allow them to complete their work." Among the very serious cases are those of : 1. Friday Anson whose ribs are broken in addition to machete cuts on the head and all
over the body. Editor's Notes a.. The attack against peaceful protesters is the latest in a series of incidenets
which have involved accounts of attacks on unarmed civilians at facilities controlled
variously by Shell, Agip and Chevron. a.. The appropriation of land for industrial projects is enabled by the Land Use Decree (1979) which effectively vests ownership of land in the state. This has been applied in the Niger Delta by oil companies and government to justify compensation only for crops on land of local villagers with no compensation paid for the loss of land or any permanent damage that results. a.. Despite opposition from numerous civil society groups the Land Use Decree has just been incorporated into Nigeria's new constitution and is the subject of a highly critical report by the Constitutional Rights Project. a.. Environmental Impact Assessments are required as a matter of course in Nigeria but are rarely obtained by oil companies or contractors in the Niger Delta. Communities who have pursued the lack if EIAs through the courts have been met with interminable delays while projects continue unhindered [ The Ijaw National Congress is currently seeking an injunction against the potentially devastating dredging of the Niger River on environmental grounds with a hearing date that is yet to be set] For More information: Port Harcourt (+234) 84 230 250/ (+234) 84 232 609 Ledum Mitee , Acting President MOSOP will be available in London Fri 28th May Ogoni is a land of half a million people in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Since 1958, oil companies such as Shell have exploited Ogoni's oil wealth, while the Ogoni people have suffered economic deprivation, the environmental devastation of our land and the discriminatory policies of successive Nigerian governments. MOSOP, led by Ken Saro Wiwa until his execution in 1995, has co-ordinated the non violent Ogoni opposition to the repression which worsened from 1994 onwards. MOSOP continues to challenge the current and incoming government to deliver justice and fair treatment for Ogoni. Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) Nigeria, 27 Odu Street,
Ogbunabali, Port Harcourt, Nigeria: MOSOP International secretariat: e-mail: mosop@gn.apc.org Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
