Street signs changed to honour Ken Saro Wiwa and Ogoni Eight

international | rights, freedoms and repression | feature

Tuesday November 11, 2008 08:24

by remember Ken Saro-Wiwa

Anniversary of Nigerian executions marked in Dublin

Sraid Ken Sarowiwa go brath!

Thirteen years ago today, on November 10th 1995, nine men from Ogoni land were hanged at Port Harcourt prison Nigeria. They had been tried in a military court by the Nigerian dictatorship. One of the men, the famous human rights campaigner Ken Saro Wiwa had been a particular thorn in the side of the Shell oil company, which found itself unable to operate in parts of the Niger Delta because of the work organisating people to peacefully resist against their destructive activities.

In stark proof of who controlled Nigeria at the time, his family had been told by Shell executives that he would be spared if he would help the company. Saro Wiwa preferred to die with honour.

Related Links: Who is Ken Saro-Wiwa? Ken on indy.ie Shell 2 Sea

Yesterday, as a mark of recognition of the profound contribution to world society made by Ken Saro Wiwa and others who resist the dominance of the big corporations, activists in Dublin changed the street signs on Adelaide Road to read Ken Saro Wiwa Street.

This simple gesture is a genuine way of commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of the Ogoni nine.

Next February, a New York court will finally hear a case brought by Ken Saro Wiwa's son, Ken Wiwa, against Shell. As Ken Wiwa told the New York Daily News "My father and eight others were executed for crimes they did not commit.They were seen as collateral damage so transnational business could continue pumping oil."

An activist who helped with the sign changing said yesterday: "It seems fitting to honour Ken Saro Wiwa this way -even if it only by concerned activists with temporary signs -since it is important that his struggle against the destruction of the Niger Delta is remembered by those who deal with energy companies like Shell, in Ireland as well as other places".

Many people still refuse to buy petrol from Shell since the executions, and this boycott continues in Ireland even though Shell now uses the Topaz brand to disguise its products. But others seem to have forgotten the history of KSW and the people of Ogoniland, and the Irish government today colludes with Shell in the destruction of the sensitive environment of the north west coast of Mayo, while doing deals which effectively hand over the country's oil and gas resources to Shell and other multi-national energy companies.

The outrage which was expressed against Shell at the time of the executions seems to have been put aside in the interests of "business of usual". So it is appropriate to name the street where Minister Eamon Ryan hands out licences for Irish oil and gas exploitation after a fighter who gave his life trying to protect his homeland from destruction and see a long term benefit for his people from their resources.

Many people have also commented that there is no straightforward mechanism to re-name streets in Dublin after deserving figures from history and culture. To this day, we have no Oscar Wilde street, no George Bernard Shaw Street, no Samuel Beckett Street, even though these figures are honoured around the world. Instead we have still have streets named after King George, Queen Victoria, and places in Britain such as Dorset and Essex. Perhaps seeing a street renamed will remind legislators that it is long overdue that the streets of Dublin reflected positive influences from history and culture, rather than the city's colonial past.

Niger Delta Awareness has organised a seminar this weekend to discuss the history of the Niger Delta and Ken Saro-Wiwa.
The Seminar will be at the Boole Lecture Room 4, University College Cork, on Saturday 15th of November 2008. 11-4PM
Contact Philip on 086 1908212 for more info or see www.nigerdeltaawareness.com for a list of speakers.

Notes:

Who was Ken Saro Wiwa ?

Ken Saro-Wiwa (October 10, 1941 – November 10, 1995) was a Nigerian author, television producer, and environmentalist. He was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority whose homelands in the Niger Delta have been targeted for oil extraction since the 1950s. Initially as spokesperson, and then as President, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental damage associated with the operations of multinational oil companies, especially Shell. He was executed by the Nigerian military in 1995, his death provoking international outrage.

read more here: www.remembersarowiwa.com/lifeksw.htm

What is the court case being brought against Shell?

On October 7th, lawyers from the Center for Constitutional rights were given a court date of February 9th 2009 for their case against Shell for the company's involvement in conspiring to torture and murder opponents in a pattern of human rights abuses.

read more here:

(http://ccrjustice.org/ourcases/current-cases/wiwa-v.-ro...eum-d)

What street has been renamed?

Adelaide Road in Dublin was named after Queen Adelaide of England, wife of King William IV. It is the home of the Department of Natural Resources and also the main entrance of the headquarters building of Shell Exploration and Production Ireland Limited.

Is this the first street named after KSW?

A proposal to name a street in the Nigerian Federal Capital, Abuja, after Ken Saro Wiwa caused controversy recently. Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka said that streets should not be named after national figures until those named in honour of the dictator General Sani Abacha were re-named.
Read more here: http://www.champion-newspapers.com/news/article4_071108.htm

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Comments (14 of 14)

Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa

by Philip Ikurusi - Niger Delta Awareness

Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:49

A TRIBUTE TO THE OGONI NINE
Thirteen years on, how to find words for the executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his eight colleagues?
Outrages simmers because the wound is still bloodily open. In the Niger Delta, gas flaring continues day and night, farmlands remain saturated with spilt oil, and the Ogoni, Ijaw and other Delta communities are among the poorest in Nigeria. The oil companies will not acknowledge their role to the families of the dead.
All too predictably, Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were murdered under a veneer of "due process"- the absurd charges, the "court", the executions. As the story unfolded before the world's media, man watched horrified as Mandela's quiet diplomacy failed, and the hangmen succeeded.
This year Niger Delta Awareness has organised a seminar to mark the day. Venue is at the Boole Lecture Room 4, University College Cork, 15th of November 2008.

new book on Niger Delta

by reader

Mon Nov 10, 2008 15:27

a new book on the Niger Delta has just been published -
Curse of The Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta
Photographs by: Ed Kashi
Edited by: Michael Watts
(powerHouse Books, 2008) http://www.powerhousebooks.com/look-inside/400

view on this

by agree with "Ireland"

Mon Nov 10, 2008 22:30

I agree - that african music on the video is very annoying too! It's get me all hot and bothered.

What a private company gets up to in some foreign country has no relevance to us here in Ireland. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LEARN FROM NIGERIA!

As for these yahoos in Belgium in the pictures, blocking a petrol station wit their "solidarity banners" yesterday in honour of Ken Saro Wiwa and people in Mayo- all I can say is that it's a terrible misuse of paper plates!

walking around the corner today

by slr

Tue Nov 11, 2008 18:32

from Harcourt Street and the sun came out on Saro Wiwa Street

Street Names

by Reality Check

Thu Nov 13, 2008 16:43

We have a Samuel Beckett Bridge and a statue of Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square.
Legitimately new streets should be named after deserving figures, whoever they might be, but removing the colonial names of those streets would be utterly meaningless and consign hundreds of years of history to the dustbin.
Names like Dorset Street or North King Street etc have enormous resonance for residents of this city and they have taken on a life of their own. Ask somebody in Dublin what they think when you mention Dorset Street and they'll think of match days in Croke Park and the many fine pubs that line it - the fact that it's named after an English county has long since been forgotten.

Reality is what you make of it.

by remember Sackville Street

Thu Nov 13, 2008 17:50

Here's a statement from Senator David Norris that was released today- I think he sums it up well:

From Senator David Norris, Kildare Street Dublin 2
November 13th 2008

While I would not wish to encourage a wholesale free for all in the
changing of street names by individual citizens I would like to say that in
the circumstances I am very happy to support the changing of the name
Adelaide Road to Ken Saro Wiwa Street. The judicial murder of Ken Saro Wiwa
is very well known but the implication of Shell Oil in the matter deserves
also to be exposed.

Ken Saro Wiwa was a noble generous and courageous human being who lost his
life in a struggle against oppression. He is much worthier to have a street
in Dublin named after him than Adelaide Louise Therese Caroline Amelia of
Saxe-Meningen who was the despised wife of the dissolute Prince of Wales at
the beginning of the 19th century. She was a sad creature who is best left
to rest in peace whereas Ken Saro Wiwa deserves to be celebrated by all
mankind.

remember the Ogoni 9

by lulu

Fri Nov 14, 2008 09:41

Good work; Sen Norris has it right. Ireland needs to keep the memory of the great Ken Saro-Wiwa and his companions, to honour their courage and sacrifice, and the unworthiness of a Government that sold out its people to the company that had the Ogoni 9 murdered and Ogoniland ruined for its profit

Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:57

But sure where does it end at that rate, do we just try and erase history and get rid of these names that have been with us for sometimes 100s of years. The story of the princess is in itself fascinating if you look it up.
By all means, call a new street after Ken Saro-Wiwa but let's not try to whitewash our past away. It's unnecessarily divisive at a time when Irish people have come to terms with their history.

not sure but

by William IV

Sat Nov 15, 2008 20:16

In what way does Princess Adelaide comprise part of "our" history?

Adelaide is important in our history

by Sceptic

Sat Nov 15, 2008 20:58

For one thing there are quite a few Adelaide Roads and Streets about. For another the Irish name “Edel” or “Edelle” comes from her. Also the large statute of Queen Vic which was before Leinster House is now in Adelaide in Australia.

Not all change is bad you know

Sun Nov 16, 2008 12:27

That's weak.

You are saying that she should have a street named after her because she, er, has a street named after her.

Did she ever spend time in Ireland? Did she have a home here? Did she ever do anything for the people or even mention them?

Did she ever give the place (or the people) a thought?

Did the people of Ireland care about her?

Adelaide RIP

Sun Nov 16, 2008 19:29

Sure, I expect lots of Irish & Anglo-Irish people looked to Adelaide as a figurehead, but the story of Saro-Wiwa is fierce relevant to Ireland right now. Queen Adelaide has a whole
town dedicate to her in Australia, & a village in England, & plenty pubs!

Security break up the protest at Manchester University

by Student Direct

Mon Nov 17, 2008 15:25

Security Thwart Shell Protest
By Lucy Henson

Security break up the protest

Security guards stopped a demonstration that was intended to raise awareness about oil giant Shell’s history of human rights violations. The protest was planned following revelations about the company’s affiliation with the University of Manchester.

About 15 students, including UMSU Communications Officer Robbie Gillett and Campaigns Officer Dan Lee, tied banners reading: “Shell operating at the University of Manchester” to the Sir Henry Wellcome Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre building on North Campus last Monday.

They also hoisted an effigy of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian environmentalist who was hanged for protesting against Shell’s devastation of the Niger Delta, along with a banner reading “Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa: murdered by Shell 10th November 1995”. Robbie Gillett described the effigy as “respectful” and a “powerful visual reminder of the role of Shell”.

Security guards were called in less than 10 minutes after the banners had been put in place, close to the entrance of the building. When asked by members of the security staff to remove the banners and effigy, the protesters refused.

Read more at www.student-direct.co.uk/2008/11/shell-protest-thwarted/

the names

by mcbett

Wed Dec 17, 2008 17:16

to have a street entiled in someone name, a house with a sign in memory, is something that makes a strong political and community sense

where certain monuments and constructions can have sense in the years after, names with no actual relevance may have to go, especially if there are other cities, pubs and whatever in their name somewhere else in big quantities

The naming of a street or a house is a symbolic act of respect for those who gained the privilege to get it or who decided to celebrate themselves as they owned the street...

I prefer to think that the name comes after the first possibility

people who get that chance for their contribution to Humanity, Civil rights, Cultural and Artistic qualities should be privileged to those whose only quality has been to be owners or rich and famous for that, without even commenting if they possessed other qualities of social utility.

Then things change all the time
there are new people and new roads and new histories to talk about

this is only good

Imagine if there was nothing new from Adelaide's time....

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Street signs changed to honour Ken Saro Wiwa and Ogoni Eight

Comments (14 of 14)