NATIONAL UNION OF OGONI STUDENTS,
USA
(NUOS INTL, USA)
3116 W.Devon Ave, Suite # 204
Chicago, Illinois 60659
Ph. 773.250.7004~ Fax. 773.572.4544
www.nuos-international.org email:
nuos.intl@gmail.com
January 04, 2008
UNITED NATIONS DAY FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
PRESS RELEASE
This January 04, 2008, Ogoni people around
the world celebrate a day declared by the
United Nations as “United Nations Day for
the rights of the indigenous peoples.” In
recognition of Ogoni cultural values and
environment, the National Union of Ogoni
Student’s, USA celebrate today with our
parent body – The Movement for the Survival
of Ogoni People (MOSOP), and over 300 other
indigenous groups around the world.
In marking today, we send this message to
various governments, peoples and supporters
around the world: that,
- The indigenous peoples are the most
vulnerable. Justice and equity are
denied them in every society they found
themselves. We therefore thank
the United Nations General Assembly for
adopting the declaration on the
rights of the Indigenous peoples in 2007. We
urge the Nigerian
government to develop framework to protect
and promote the rights of
Ogonis without exclusion and discrimination
as declared by the United
Nations.
- In line with the above framework, we urge Nigerian parliament and
President Musa Yar-Adua to accede to the demand of a State by the
Ogoni People within Nigeria. This would help reverse the egregious
Cultural, environmental extinction the Ogonis are now facing.
- Realizing that true federalism is the bedrock of any strong democracy, we urge the Nigerian parliament to embrace justice (as practiced in other parts of the world), by granting the rights of self-determination, resource control (land, territories and resources) to the people of Ogoni and other Niger Delta communities. Senate’s last visit to the Niger Delta cannot be enough without concrete actions to amend the laws that envelop the Niger delta people
- We urge the Nigerian government to urgently determine the impact of oil
Contamination on Ogoni land, water, agriculture, fisheries, air and its
effects on the biodiversity and human health. We demand a
comprehensive social and health assessment studies of Ogoniland and
people with immediate effect.
- We condemn the dumping of ebullient and vibrant Rivers State Students
by the Rivers State government in an unaccredited college – University
College Sedaya, International, Malaysia. Their presence is used to siphon
millions of naira from Rivers State when courses they are sent to
pursue could be strengthened in Nigeria. We demand an investigation
into why the students are made to cater for their welfare even when they
are said to be on government scholarship.
- We appeal to the Niger Delta people to be more involved in the struggle
of emancipation of the Niger Delta not through the barrel of guns but by
pressurizing their respective representatives in Nigerian parliament to
initiate legislation in Nigerian assemblies to change the status quo.
- We’ve watched the slow pace of the development of the Niger Delta
region with dismay. If such delay is tied around any bureaucratic
bottle-neck, we urge President Yar-Adua to speedify action on the
development of the region because we see this as an acid-test for his
administration.
- President Yar-Adua should urgently implement the Ogoni Bill of Rights
(OBR) and the recommendation of the United Nations mission to Ogoni
in 1996.
- We reiterate and stand by the over 300,000 Ogoni people declaration on January 04, 1993, that Shell Oil Company remains persona non grata in Ogoni.
- We demand of President Musa Yar – Adua and the Nigerian government
(as a matter of priority) the exoneration of Africa’s foremost Indigenous
Rights crusader – Ken saro Wiwa of flimsy changes that led to the
Judicial hanging of the Ogoni nine.
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Again, we, the Ogoni people are vulnerable
and we demand an Ogoni State for
preservation of our cultural heritage;
control of our resources. We strongly demand
of the Nigerian government and Shell Oil
Company a transparent social and health
assessment studies in Ogoni and the
exoneration of Ken saro Wiwa.
Signed:
KorneBari Nwike Austin Lemea
President Secretary
Lambert Deebom
(Director of Publicity and Mobilization) |
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