….Group appeals to Tinubu on Ogoni bill of rights
By Joan Nwagwu
A group has called on President Bola Tinubu to assent to the Ogoni Bill of Rights as adopted by the people of the land.
The group include People Advancement Centre(PAC), Ogoni People Assembly, Partners for Electoral Reform and Social Action.
Mr Akpobar Celestine, PAC Team Leader made the appeal at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, to mark the 28 anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni people.
Celestine said this was imperative as it would grant the Ogoni people the political autonomy to control the affairs of their land.
He noted that almost three decades after their deaths, the struggle was still on, as the people had continued to fight for the remediation of their land.
Celestine said the people are faced with environmental degradation, political marginalisation, economic strangulation, slavery, among others.
“On this particular anniversary, we have a strong hope that the legitimate demands of the oppressed, suppressed, marginalised and economically disempowered Ogoni people will be acceded to.
“This is considering the fact that President Bola Tinubu was part of the struggle and protest for the rights of Ogoni people years back.
” Our prayers is that the president exonerates late Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists,” he said.
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He also urged Mr president to put an order on the immediate review of the judgment that was given by the Kangaroo Military Tribunal in 1995 that sentenced them to death.
He also called for those who committed genocide in Ogoni land to be immediately arrested and prosecuted.
According to him, adequate compensation should be paid to families of the over 2000 Ogoni men, women and children who were murdered in Ogoni land.
“The president should urgently and passionately looks into the legitimate demands of Ogoni people as enshrined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights with a view to addressing them.
“This include the issue of political marginalisation, as it will interest Mr President that no Ogoni has held any political office since the creation of Rivers State on 27 May 1967,” he said.
He also appealed to President Tinubu to the consider the full implementation of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni.
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He also called for the approval of adequate compensation to Ogoni farmers and fishermen who lost their means of livelihoods, among other demands of the people.
Also, Rev. Probel Williams, Leader, Ogoni Peoples Assembly appeals to the Federal Government to look at the pleas of the Ogoni people.
“I want to say that the Ogoni people are no longer happy, they are hungry and are dying, they need help and only the Federal Government can come to their rescue by meeting their demands, “ he said.
Also, Mr Botti Isaac, Convener, Social Action said that 28 years after the murder of the Saro-Wiwa and others, the issues raised by them were still pending.
“That is the lost of economic livelihood, environmental degradation, among others are still there.
“We are saying that the people of Ogoni are yet to get justice and we want justice to be served,” he said. (NAN)
