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Five years ago to the day/ Obasanj



Subject: Five years ago to the day/  Obasanjo pleads for Ogoni

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Barika Idamkue wrote:
> 
> The following story is adapted from the OGONI REVIEW Vol. 1 No. 11 March
> 1994, the newsletter of MOSOP. The late Ken Saro-Wiwa was
> alive and well, not in prison and was President of MOSOP at
> the time the event took place.
>                                -  Barika Idamkue
> 
> OBASANJO PLEADS FOR OGONI
> 
> Former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
> of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo has added his voice to the
> calls for the alleviation of the suffering of the people of Ogoni.
> 
> In a keynote address presented at a recent conference organized
> by Arewa House, Kaduna, Gen. Obasanjo said "Ogoni is a symbol of
> most minorities' plight and thinking all over the country. No
> matter how we perceive their claim, it is an issue that must be
> put on the table."
> 
> Obasanjo, who was Nigeria's military head of government(1976-1979),
> was contributing to the debate on issues to be resolved at the
> proposed National Constitutional Conference, said that "some
> people expect to emerge from the National Conference new local governments
> while others expect new states and yet others expect
> to lift oil for expected new Ogoni state."
> 
> Concluding he added, "There are many Ogonis, our dispensation
> must allow for the right of minorities including the enjoyment
> of part of the God-given resources in their area and there
> must be a delicate balance between the rights and common
> interests of all Nigerians. We must listen to them. We must get
> to know their special problems. We must respond warmly and imaginatively to
> their special demands".
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> As we remember the late Saro-Wiwa and eight of his colleagues
> and all the Ogonis murdered for oil today , let us make out
> time to remind President Obasanjo of his own words spoken
> so eloquently five years ago.
> 
> Back issues of the OGONI REVIEW and current information on
> MOSOP acivities are available at the website www.mosopcanada.org
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Barika Idamkue
> PO Box 8863
> Los Angeles, CA 90008
> USA
> Tel. (323) 294 1518
> Fax  (323) 933 2149
> Email bidamkue@xxxxxxxxxxx
> 
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