THE Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People has called on the Federal Government to clear the names of Ken Saro -Wiwa and eight others , who were executed by the late General Sani Abacha -led military government in November , 1995 .
MOSOP President , Legborsi Pyagbara , made the call in Port Harcourt on Saturday during the 24 th anniversary commemoration of the Ogoni Martyrs’ Day .
Pyagbara said , “ Until the Nigerian state clears the name of the ‘Ogoni Nine ’, Nigeria will not know peace . For the past six remembrance ceremonies, we have continued to highlight the need for the Nigerian government to right the wrongs committed against these fallen heroes.
“The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Nigeria on December 22 , 1995 , in which it condemned the execution of Ken Saro -Wiwa and other members of the Ogoni .
“The fact- finding team found that the trial and execution of the Ogoni heroes fell below the standards set by the Nigerian legal regime, not to talk of the gross infringement of international human rights law . It indeed remains a dent on our collective conscience as a nation . ”
He reiterated the group ’ s position on oil exploration in Ogoni and urged the people to remain resolute and not be deceived by prospecting oil companies .
He said , “For some time now , the Ogoni people have seen intense pressure to re - enter the land for the purpose of resuming oil production in our land . While Shell remains persona non grata in Ogoni , we have stated repeatedly that Ogoni oil assets cannot be partitioned and allocated .
“We are appealing to members of Ogoni communities not to allow themselves to be deceived by any potential investor either from the state or Federal Government . It is our duty to learn from our past and find a united platform , which will protect our interest collectively .”