Africa: Continent Can Help Mitigate Climate Change [analysis] Nov 4, 2009
The non-violent campaign by the Ogoni people was met with the killing of Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Nigerian military regime in 1995. But non-violent actions by environmental groups have continued, as civilian governments since 1999 have also failed to satisfy the grievances of people in the oil-producing areas. (allAfrica.com)
Ghanaian Politician heading to Iran to bring American Hostages ? Nov 2, 2009
"Later in 2003, the White House announced that President George Bush's administration would pursue an "American led democratic Revolution". "I was so over-joyed with the announcement that I publicly praised President George Bush's administration via my emails to the Press". "Strangely, I lost my jobs - (soon after I had praised President George Bush)", said the Iconic Civil Rights and Human Rights Crusader who is now appealing to the White House to open an investigation into his legitimate... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Oil And Ghanas Future Lessons to learn Oct 26, 2009
According to Ken Wiwa, the son of the late Ken Saro Wiwa, Nigeria earns about $30Billion a year from oil (from 1990 to 2000), but the country has somehow managed to amass an external debt of $40 billion without much to show for it in terms of capital investment or infrastructure. Sadly, despite being a heavy weight in the oil production, Nigerias refining capacity is currently insufficient to meet local demand with queues forming everyday in a country awash with oil reserves. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Two Afro-Asian Leaders: Kufuor and Zulfi Bhutto in Identical Portraits. Oct 20, 2009
Among authors, whose works are being promoted by Ayebia Clarke Publishing include Ama Ata Aidoo; Tsiti Dangaremba (whose 1988 novel, Nervous Conditions, has been blessed with a brilliant introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah of Princeton University, who is a notable author in his own right), Ken Saro Wiwa (with an introduction by Professor Soyinka). The first edition of Between Faith and History was 136 pages long published by the New Jersey-based Africa World Press. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Nigeria: MEND Stirs Fresh Tension in Niger Delta Oct 19, 2009
"As if these were not bad enough, the Federal Government arrested many of our compatriots, including Dokubo-Asari and Deprieye Alamieseigha and deployed its occupation force to quell the expected resistance of the people; This is obviously a declaration of war on the region by the Federal Government of Nigeria, though not its first time, as there had been the Umuechem invasion, Odi Massacre, Okochiri raid, the Ogoni saga and the judicial murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, the Odioma... (allAfrica.com)
Human rights: Long, courageous struggle for justice Oct 3, 2009
Fawehinmi defended activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, who, along with several others were executed by Nigeria s military regime in 1995 for calling worldwide attention to environmental devastation and poverty in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Royal Dutch Shell, the largest oil company in Nigeria, was sued for complicity in the executions and in June agreed to a $15. (Boston Globe)
Nigeria singer's joy at Mobo win Oct 2, 2009
She also cites Nigeria writer and human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa as an inspiration. Mr Saro-Wiwa was executed by the Sani Abacha government in 1995 for his efforts to campaign against corruption in the oil-rich Niger Delta. (BBC News -- Africa)
Hero Worship or Cultism? Confused Ghanaians Deserve to Know. Sep 4, 2009
Ask me whether he later summoned courage to go through such a ritual, I will not tell you because I, like the late Ken Saro Wiwa do not have my uncles permission to divulge intimate family secrets. Do not trust those so called men and women of virtue. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Timeline: Nigeria Jul 27, 2009
1995 - Ken Saro-Wiwa, writer and campaigner against oil industry damage to his Ogoni homeland, is executed following a hasty trial. In protest, European Union imposes sanctions until 1998, Commonwealth suspends Nigeria's membership until 1998. (BBC News -- Africa)
Nigeria: Militants Blow Up Lagos Oil Facility Jul 15, 2009
"From the era of Isaac Boro, to the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots, and the incarceration of Dokubo Asari and Henry Okah, this hostility has only brought us tears, bloodshed, and sorrow.". "It is incontrovertible that at no time in the history of this country has the Federal Government demonstrated the level of understanding and appreciation of the crisis than its recent engagement of an amnesty process for the people involved in violent resolution of the crisis.". (allAfrica.com)
My brother, the Delta militant Jul 13, 2009
The execution of Delta activist Ken Saro Wiwa by Nigeria's military government in 1995 affected Henry very badly, his brother said. "We were living in the same area then. It was very depressing for him. Really Ken Saro Wiwa set the standard that he tried to surpass.". (BBC News -- Africa)
Nigeria: Towards Reconciliation in Ogoniland Jul 1, 2009
In a suit filed by the Centre for Constitutional Rights in New York, USA, on behalf of the family of the slain writer and environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight others in 1996, the Nigerian subsidiary of Shell was accused of complicity in the hanging of the 'Ogoni nine' and the persecution of other environmental activists in the Niger Delta by the regime of the late General Sani Abacha. While the family of the late Saro-Wiwa and those of the other 'Ogoni eight' have accepted Shell's gesture... (allAfrica.com)
Niger Delta militants vow more attacks Jun 22, 2009
Some Niger Delta protests have been largely peaceful and nonviolent, such as those of the Ogoni-speaking people, led by the late Nigerian writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. Royal Dutch Shell oil company recently agreed to a $15. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Ending a Shell game Jun 22, 2009
The respected author, environmentalist, and human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was among the protesters put to death in 1995 after a bogus trial. Shell has agreed to pay $15. (Boston Globe)
185,000 barrels shut in as militants hit oil facility Jun 19, 2009
Ali was one of the three-man panel that tried and sentenced the environmental activist and writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogonis to death under the regime of the late head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha. Also, Senator Bode Olajumoke has appealed to the government to seek political to the Niger Delta conflict, arguing that military action would not produce any meaningful answer. (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Shell settles human rights suit for $15.5M Jun 16, 2009
Greenpeace via AFP - Getty Images FileActivist Ken Saro-Wiwa, seen here in a photo taken on Jan. 5, 1993,led rallies against Shell in Nigeria ... 5 million settlement Monday to end a lawsuit alleging that the oil giant was complicit in the executions of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other civilians by Nigeria's former military regime ... "I think he would be happy with this," Wiwa's 40-year-old son, Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr., said in a telephone interview from London. (MSNBC -- Business)
Nigeria: The Forgotten Ogoni Four [column] Jun 16, 2009
Lagos Last week, relatives and supporters of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni activist and writer, secured a historic $15. 5 million settlement from Shell, the international oil company they have persistently blamed for Ken's November l995 execution. (allAfrica.com)
* World News Quick Take Jun 5, 2009
Nigerian plaintiffs are suing Shell for alleged complicity in the 1995 executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a renowned writer and activist, and other leaders of a movement protesting alleged environmental destruction and abuses against the Ogoni people. The corporation is also accused of complicity in the torture, detention and exile of Saro-Wiwas brother and other violent attacks. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Lawsuits target oil companies Jun 4, 2009
NEW YORK (AP) -- Royal Dutch Shell is preparing for a federal trial this summer where it would face allegations that it played a role in the executions of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other civilians by Nigeria's former military regime ... In particular, the lawsuit says Shell officials knew and possibly supported the military's efforts to capture and hang Ken Saro-Wiwa, John Kpuinen, Saturday Doobee, Felix Nuate, Daniel Gbokoo and Dr. Barinem Kiobel on Nov. 10, 1995. (Pocatello Idaho State Journal, ID)
Lawsuits Target Oil Company Operations Overseas Jun 4, 2009
Royal Dutch Shell settled a lawsuit Wednesday, June 3, that accused the oil giant of playing a role in the executions of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other civilians by Nigeria's former military regime ... Royal Dutch Shell is preparing for a federal trial this summer where it would face allegations that it played a role in the executions of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other civilians by Nigeria's former military regime ... In particular, the lawsuit says Shell officials knew and possibly supported... (ABC News -- Wire)
Govt tightens security at N'Assembly May 29, 2009
"In 1995 when the late Gen. Sani Abacha killed Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists, the Arewa people endorsed it openly because as far as they were concerned, these were minorities. However, in less than two years, Shehu Musa Yar' Adua was killed by the same government. So, if they think it's a Niger Delta affair, then they are wrong. What goes round comes around. Everybody will feel and taste this injustice.". Burubo added:" Anytime there is genocide in any part of Nigeria, they come out... (Guardian News, Nigeria)
* A plea to Shell from the son of a murdered moderate May 28, 2009
Fourteen years ago, Ken Saro-Wiwa predicted that Shell would one day have to account for its actions in Nigeria ... Ken Saro-Wiwas real crime was his audacity to sensitize local and global public opinion to the ecological and human rights abuses perpetrated by Shell and a ruthless military dictatorship against the Ogoni people ... In response, Shell X denying that it encouraged violence against Ken Saro-Wiwa or other Ogonis and saying that it attempted to persuade the Nigerian government... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Nigeria: Saro-Wiwa Trial Begins Today May 27, 2009
Lagos The trial of Anglo-Dutch super major, Shell, over its alleged complicity in the death of Mr. Ken Saro-Wiwa, leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), will begin today ... The case entitled Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Shell and Wiwa v Anderson concerns the November 10, 1995 hangings of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) known as "Ogoni Nine" and the shooting of a woman protesting the bulldozing of her farm... (allAfrica.com)
Poetic justice? May 27, 2009
The execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa shocked the world ... Activists trying to prove oil giant Royal Dutch Shell was complicit in the 1995 executions of nine anti-oil campaigners, including Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa,will begin their case in a New York court on Wednesday ... 1958 Oil struck in Ogoniland 1990 Ogonis form the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop) with Ken Saro-Wiwa as president 1993 300,000 Ogonis protest at their neglect by the government and... (BBC News -- Africa)
Mandela or Mbeki: which philosophy will Zuma follow? May 19, 2009
The greatest challenge for human rights in South Africa's foreign policy came when Mandela decided to withdraw the country's representative from Nigeria in protest against the military execution in 1995 of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa by Nigeria's then president, General Sani Abacha. This stance was widely criticised by African leaders and civil society. (Business Report, South Africa)
Delta gov, leaders meet over JTF attacks May 18, 2009
Nsirimovu argued that the criminal response of the state to what was a peaceful agitation by the Ogoni social movement, led by the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, led to a change of strategy by the people who now genuinely believe that an imposed government holds no measure of security to their livelihood. MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, revealed that two hostages have been killed during the indiscriminate shelling by the JTF and two others are still in their custody. (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Allegations of Corporate Crimes Against Humanity Going to Trial May 7, 2009
The claim alleges that executed Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and other activists were the victims of a campaign of terror launched by the Nigerian government because they fought oil exploration in the Ogoni region of Nigeria. The company, the plaintiffs allege, was complicit in the 1995 hanging of Saro-Wiwa and other activists and the torture, jailing and ultimate exile of Saro-Wiwa's brother, Dr. Owens Wiwa. (Law.com)
Late Nigerian activists son to see Shell in court May 6, 2009
Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr., son of playwright and oil industry opponent Ken Saro-Wiwa, says alooming trial againstRoyal Dutch PetroleumCo ... NEW YORK - Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. has been fighting for more than 13 years to make his late father's prediction come true ... The trial that starts May 26 in U.S. District Court in New York stems from two lawsuits accusing Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. and the former managing director of its Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Transport and Trading PLC, of being complicit in... (MSNBC -- International)
Oil lingers above $54 on economic recovery hopes May 5, 2009
AP Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr., son of playwright and oil industry opponent Ken Saro-Wiwa, is photographed during. Related Quotes. (Yahoo News)
Planet keepers win environmental award Apr 28, 2009
Previous winners of the award, established in 1990 by two US philanthropists, include the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, hanged in 1995 after leading protests against oil companies in Nigeria. Reuters. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
6 campaigners win environmental Nobels Apr 20, 2009
Previous winners of the award, established in 1990 by two U.S. philanthropists, include the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, hanged in 1995 after leading protests against oil companies in Nigeria. This year's African winner is Marc Ona Essangui, who campaigned against plans by a Chinese state-owned company to open an iron ore mine in the rainforests of Gabon, west Africa. (India Times)
The Politics of Bones Apr 15, 2009
Among the dead was Ken Saro-Wiwa, an internationally-known writer and spokesperson for the Ogoni people, whose land in the Niger River delta had been devastated by oil extraction ... The "politics of bones" was how a forensic anthropologist from Physicians for Human Rights had summed up the bizarre combination of science, misdirection, myth, greed, and fear surrounding the death and secret burial of Ken Saro-Wiwa ... While many are familiar with the infamous struggle for environmental justice in... (Suite101.com)
Nigeria: Oil Fire Threatens Exports Apr 13, 2009
com: Nigeria: 170,000bpd Crude Shut-in As Fire Razes Shell's Facility (Page 1 of 1). Nigeria: 170,000bpd Crude Shut-in As Fire Razes Shell's Facility. (allAfrica.com)
Fresh start for oil activists? Apr 11, 2009
For the past 13 years, no oil has been pumped out of the ground here after Royal Dutch Shell stopped operations following environmental protests that led to the execution by the military of writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa ... It seemed to be a vindication of the 19-year struggle waged by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), founded by Ken Saro-Wiwa - a man who had become a thorn in the side of government and the multi-national oil company ... 1958 Oil struck in Ogoniland... (BBC News -- Africa)
Elusive peace in Delta Apr 11, 2009
Ledum Mitee, president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), is a colleague of Ken Saro Wiwa, who was executed in 1995 by the regime of military ruler, Sani Abacha. He says the government's choice of mediator was badly misjudged. (BBC News -- Africa)
NPP Should Put Kufuor on Trial !!! - say's Politician Mar 9, 2009
" I don't know about His Excellency, President John Evans Atta Mills but I definately know about former President John Agyekum Kufuor who is not accustomed to America's style of "Sound-bite Politics". Former President Kufuor chose the description and condemnation of the Martyred Nigeria's Human Rights Activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa who said that the "Best of the Black Man is Evil". "A reasonable government would rather have Kwame Mayor on his side or Kwame Mayor outside fighting back with his pen".... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
