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----- Original Message -----
From: monica wilson <mwilson@essential.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list SHELL-NIGERIA-ACTION
<shell-nigeria-action@essential.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 1999 1:25 PM
Subject: MOSOP criticises Commonwealth


> from MOSOP International Secretariat
> ---
>
> Wednesday, May 05, 1999
>
> MOSOP criticises C'wealth team's decision on Nigeria
>
> >From Joseph Ollor Obari, Port Harcourt
>
> THE Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has criticised the
> Commonwealth for
> dropping Nigeria's human rights situation from its agenda, describing the
> decision as hasty.
>
> In separate statements, MOSOP President in the United Kingdom, Mr. Lazarus
> Tamana and the
> Acting President, Mr. Ledum Mitee, said vigilance by the international
> community during the
> last days of military rule was vital because the nation is yet to abide by
> international
> standards as regards people's rights.
>
> "We must acknowledge the dedicated efforts of the Commonwealth Group who
> have been prepared to
> confront a Nigerian regime which lied, bullied and cheated on its
> responsibility
> internationally, while abusing the rights of the people at home," Tamana
> said, observing,
> however, that dropping Nigeria from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action
> Group (CMAG) agenda
> while certain offending decrees like the ones used to justify the
execution
> of minority rights
> activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and his eight other kinsmen existed was worrisome.
>
> To him: "CMAG should secure a more positive role by expanding its mandate
> to report on and
> monitor violations of the Harare principles in all Commonwealth
countries,"
> stressing
> "Nigeria's shaky transition towards democracy and a basic respect for
human
> rights would be
> offered some protection by close interest from the Commonwealth and the
> international
> community."
>
> Mitee in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, stressed that
> recent promises made
> about correcting the wrongs in the Niger Delta failed to address the issue
> of the release of
> the bodies of the hanged nine Ogoni activists.
>
> He said: "Nigeria is yet to begin the task of addressing the root problems
> of many of its
> injustices. Recent promises made about development and addressing
> environmental concerns in the
> Niger Delta have contained the same misleading exaggerations which have
> been the hallmark of
> past regimes.`
>
> "In Ogoni, the task before the government is considerable and the most
> basic action of
> returning the bodies of all those killed by the last military regime,
> including the bodies of
> Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barinen Kiobel, Saturday Duobee, Paul Levura, Nordu Eawo,
> Felix Nuate, Daniel
> Gbokon and John Kpuinen remains."
>
> "If Nigeria is truly to restore her credibility on the international
stage,
> then she must be
> able to show that she can deliver justice to her people. We are looking
for
> the Commonwealth to
> hold Nigeria to a higher standard than the absence of the most flagrant
> human rights abuses,"
> the MOSOP leader added.
>
> --
> Monica Wilson     Essential Action
> P.O. Box 19405, Washington, DC 20036, 202.387.8030, 202.234.5176 (fax)
> mwilson@essential.org     http://www.essential.org/action/shell/
>
>
>