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The Caravan is inviting you to the continuation of the Nigerian Campaign
on Thursday 12th August at the Paradox – Bernhardstr. 10-12. Time: 20.00.
Most of you might still remember the tragedy of the Nigerian environmental and humanrights activist Ken Saro Wiwa. Due to his uncompromising engagement against the destruction of Ogoniland by the oil multinational: Shell, the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha executed him despite huge international protests. There has been no doubt about the inhuman character of the Abacha and subsequent regimes and about the devastating practices of the oil companies. But the public perception of Nigeria has changed a lot here in Germany. Nobody is talking about the ongoing destruction of the Niger Delta by Shell, Chevron, Schlumberger, Texaco, Esso and others even when their activities are responsible for the social unrest and general insecurity of lives and properties in the Niger Delta.
Since General Olusegun Obasanjo took office as president in 1999, Nigeria is regarded as a democratic state where peace and justice reigns. The political introduction of sharia law in most northern states and the increasing number of violent clashes between christians and muslims and between different ethnic groups have led to over 12,000 deaths since 1999. But these are seen here in Germany as a part of the uncivilised and complicated African culture which Obasanjo is trying to civilize.
Completley overlooked is the fact that the military is still fully in control of everything taking place in the country. The masses are still facing the same dictatorial leadership as the various arms of government are dominated by former military officers and their cronnies. The level of corruption is on a new height and has worsened in the past years. Not many people have the courage to openly protest against it as doing so could carry fatal consequences. The political climate is one of intimidation, fear and of general insecurity. Since the last couple of years, political assassinations have become so rampant that it is basically accepted as part of the political process. This is even when it involves highly placed political officers.
However, some people are strongly resisting in the areas where the oppression is worse as in the oil rich Niger Delta and in Yorubaland with the largest ethnic group in the south. The Obasanjo regime is confronting the resistance with open terror. In 1999, he sent the military to bombard oil-city of Odi which was completely destroyed after the invasion. In the midst of the agitation for sovereign national conference and the protests that followed in the western part of the country, he similarly ordered the police and the military to shoot at sight any protester on the street. The humanrights abuses under the military appears like a child’s play compared to what is happening right now under the Obasanjo regime.
The German Government overlooks these humanrights violations and sees these legitimate call for self determination and resistance as acts of terrorism. This has fatal consequences for Nigerian refugees in Germany. Practically no more Nigerian refugees are accepted as political refugees and they are quickly deported with the claim that Nigeria is safe. This is even when their Embassy officials are using Bullet-proof vests and cars in Nigerian. Refugees are forced to live illegaly in Germany and in case of police controls, they are forced to deny their Nigerian identity in order to avoid deportation.
For political activists who are interested in publicly reporting the misery of their people whom they left behind in Nigeria, this development has especially bad consequences. Babatope Moses Bodunde, member of the Caravan group in Bremen is now facing these consequences. The „Bundesamt“ and the court have both rejected his asylum claim by stating that they don‘t believe that he is persecuted given his political activites in Nigeria. He is now under threat of deportation!
We are inviting you to a public information and discussion evening about the humanrights situation and the resistance in Nigeria. Additionally we want to discuss how we can prevent the deportation of Moses and other Nigerian refugees by presenting critical counter-information to what the German government says on Nigeria and build political pressure on the authorities here to review their position on Nigeria.
Speakers: Dr. Anthony Edeh and Moses Babatope Bodunde. Moderator: Sunny Omwenyeke.