Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s posthumous pardon and conferment of national honours on Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other slain Ogoni activists, describing the move as a critical step towards justice, but warned it must be more than symbolic.
In a statement released by its Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, following the President’s Democracy Day address on June 12, 2025, CAPPA said the gesture must be backed by concrete environmental and economic reparations for the decades-long destruction of Ogoniland.
“The President’s decision coincides with the 30th anniversary of the tragic and unjust execution of these brave environmental defenders.
“It is a historical reckoning—but to avoid descending into mere ceremonial pageantry, it must catalyse genuine justice for the Ogoni people,” the group said.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer, poet, and environmentalist, spearheaded the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), advocating a non-violent campaign against the environmental degradation caused by oil multinationals, particularly Shell.
Alongside eight other leaders, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine, Saro-Wiwa was executed in 1995 after a criticised military tribunal under the regime of late General Sani Abacha.
“Three decades on, nothing has changed. Despite overwhelming evidence of Shell’s collusion with the Nigerian military to crush the Ogoni resistance, the company has faced no real accountability and is now divesting its Nigerian assets to avoid growing liabilities,” the statement added.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the executions remain a permanent stain on Nigeria’s human rights record.
“Genuine tribute demands decisive action. The presidency must now show the political will to complete the clean-up and restore Ogoniland.
“Oil companies responsible for this devastation must be held accountable for every drop spilt,” he said.
The 2011 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report revealed extensive pollution in Ogoniland, noting that restoring the region would take up to 30 years and cost over $1 billion.
The report recommended an initial injection of that sum, split between the government and oil companies, to begin remediation within the first five years.
Yet, CAPPA noted, the clean-up process has been plagued by delays, lack of transparency, and gross inefficiency.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), established in 2017 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has come under fire for awarding contracts to unqualified firms and failing to produce verifiable results.
“Some sites marked as ‘remediated’ exist only on paper. Communities say even those allegedly cleaned remain barren and unfit for farming or fishing,” the statement said.
According to CAPPA, the Shell-led joint venture responsible for funding the clean-up has only contributed $572 million out of the pledged $900 million.
The Nigerian government has also failed to provide its N100 billion counterpart fund, claiming that its interest is represented through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
“Even more troubling,” the group added, “are recent discussions about resuming oil exploration in Ogoniland. This is unacceptable while pollution persists and justice remains elusive.”
CAPPA called on President Tinubu to go beyond the presidential pardon by instituting enforceable actions, including: Full payment and transparent disbursement of clean-up funds; a legally binding moratorium on oil exploration in Ogoniland; independent verification of all remediation efforts; compensation for farmers and fishers who have lost livelihoods; investment in sustainable development, including renewable energy and agroecology.”
“Democracy Day commemorates Nigerians’ right to dissent and resist injustice. Ken Saro-Wiwa and his comrades paid the ultimate price for exercising that right. Now that the presidency has taken a symbolic step, it must also take transformative ones,” the group posited.
“The pardon must not become a cover for fresh exploitation. Instead, it should serve as a mandate to restore poisoned lands, rebuild broken lives, and hold every corporate polluter accountable.
“Anything less would be a betrayal of the Ogoni 9—and the spirit of June 12,” CAPPA concluded.
Copyright Notice:
All rights reserved. The content on this website, including text and other digital materials, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of The News Accelerator Network.
For advertising inquiries, news coverage, or press releases, please get in touch with us at
📧 thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail.com
📞 0805 101 7159, 0814 404 8512
إرسال تعليق