Read this article in:
12 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 57/1998
A top priority for the new leader of Nigeria must be the release of detainees and the restoration of full trade union freedom, the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) insists.
The death of Nigerian military leader Gen. Sani Abacha was officially confirmed a few hours ago.
"Nigeria now has the chance of a fresh start," commented ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. "The new Head of State will have to rebuild the country's shattered economy. That means first and foremost revitalising the oil industry, which is Nigeria's main source of income.
"So the new administration in Nigeria will need the full cooperation of the country's oilworkers," Thorpe pointed out. "To achieve that, it must move immediately to free the oilworkers' elected leaders, Milton Dabibi and Frank Kokori. And it must return the oilworkers' trade unions to the workers themselves, via their elected representatives.
"Now is the right moment for governments and leading oil companies to make their views on this known," Thorpe emphasised.
Frank Kokori, the General Secretary of oil and gas workers' union NUPENG, has been detained without charge or trial in Nigeria since 1994. Milton Dabibi, General Secretary of oil and gas workers' union PENGASSAN, has been similary detained since January 1996. Both are in poor health, and their condition is reported to be deteriorating rapidly. They are still being denied access to the medical care that they need. They are also barred from contact with lawyers and with their unions, which are being run by government-imposed administrators. Their unions are both affiliated to the ICEM, which has been leading a worldwide trade union campaign for their release. Prominent among other organisations campaigning for Dabibi and Kokori is Amnesty International, which recognises both men as prisoners of conscience.
AMSTERDAM FOOTBALL PROTEST
On Friday, Kokori and Dabibi were among an "alternative Nigerian eleven" symbolically presented by protesters in Amsterdam during a pre-World Cup "friendly" soccer match between the Netherlands and Nigeria.
Representing the "other Nigerian team" on the terraces during the match were Dutch personalities and Nigerian human rights campaigners. They wore t-shirts bearing the photos of the "eleven", including Kokori and Dabibi. The protesters wearing the shirts included Lodewijk de Waal, President of the Dutch trade union confederation FNV, as well as Owens Wiwa, the brother of the executed writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, and Wura Abiola. Her father, Moshood Abiola, is being held without trial in Nigeria. He is thought to have won Nigeria's last presidential elections, which were annulled by the military. Her mother, Kudirat Abiola, was assassinated two years ago while campaigning for Moshood Abiola's release.
The match and the protests were televised in the Netherlands, Nigeria and many other countries. The TV coverage also showed Amnesty International advertising hoardings close to the goals, with the slogan "Fair Play For All".
The protests are understood to have led to some brinkmanship by Nigerian football officials in Amsterdam. Up to the last minute, they threatened to cancel the match unless the demonstration was banned. But the game finally went ahead, and with it the TV coverage of the protests. Prominent among the organisers of the demonstration were the FNV and Amnesty International.
The top news story on Dutch TV and radio that evening was the demonstration, a pre-match press conference and a meeting between the protesters and Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation Jan Pronk. Substantial press coverage followed the next day. As a result, the Dutch are now very much aware of human rights violations - and particularly trade union rights violations - in Nigeria. The FNV's Lodewijk de Waal was among the first people to be contacted by the media for comment on today's developments.
The Nigerians lost Friday's football match. But, with international solidarity now, they could win something much more important this week.
The death of Nigerian military leader Gen. Sani Abacha was officially confirmed a few hours ago.
"Nigeria now has the chance of a fresh start," commented ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. "The new Head of State will have to rebuild the country's shattered economy. That means first and foremost revitalising the oil industry, which is Nigeria's main source of income.
"So the new administration in Nigeria will need the full cooperation of the country's oilworkers," Thorpe pointed out. "To achieve that, it must move immediately to free the oilworkers' elected leaders, Milton Dabibi and Frank Kokori. And it must return the oilworkers' trade unions to the workers themselves, via their elected representatives.
"Now is the right moment for governments and leading oil companies to make their views on this known," Thorpe emphasised.
Frank Kokori, the General Secretary of oil and gas workers' union NUPENG, has been detained without charge or trial in Nigeria since 1994. Milton Dabibi, General Secretary of oil and gas workers' union PENGASSAN, has been similary detained since January 1996. Both are in poor health, and their condition is reported to be deteriorating rapidly. They are still being denied access to the medical care that they need. They are also barred from contact with lawyers and with their unions, which are being run by government-imposed administrators. Their unions are both affiliated to the ICEM, which has been leading a worldwide trade union campaign for their release. Prominent among other organisations campaigning for Dabibi and Kokori is Amnesty International, which recognises both men as prisoners of conscience.
AMSTERDAM FOOTBALL PROTEST
On Friday, Kokori and Dabibi were among an "alternative Nigerian eleven" symbolically presented by protesters in Amsterdam during a pre-World Cup "friendly" soccer match between the Netherlands and Nigeria.
Representing the "other Nigerian team" on the terraces during the match were Dutch personalities and Nigerian human rights campaigners. They wore t-shirts bearing the photos of the "eleven", including Kokori and Dabibi. The protesters wearing the shirts included Lodewijk de Waal, President of the Dutch trade union confederation FNV, as well as Owens Wiwa, the brother of the executed writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, and Wura Abiola. Her father, Moshood Abiola, is being held without trial in Nigeria. He is thought to have won Nigeria's last presidential elections, which were annulled by the military. Her mother, Kudirat Abiola, was assassinated two years ago while campaigning for Moshood Abiola's release.
The match and the protests were televised in the Netherlands, Nigeria and many other countries. The TV coverage also showed Amnesty International advertising hoardings close to the goals, with the slogan "Fair Play For All".
The protests are understood to have led to some brinkmanship by Nigerian football officials in Amsterdam. Up to the last minute, they threatened to cancel the match unless the demonstration was banned. But the game finally went ahead, and with it the TV coverage of the protests. Prominent among the organisers of the demonstration were the FNV and Amnesty International.
The top news story on Dutch TV and radio that evening was the demonstration, a pre-match press conference and a meeting between the protesters and Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation Jan Pronk. Substantial press coverage followed the next day. As a result, the Dutch are now very much aware of human rights violations - and particularly trade union rights violations - in Nigeria. The FNV's Lodewijk de Waal was among the first people to be contacted by the media for comment on today's developments.
The Nigerians lost Friday's football match. But, with international solidarity now, they could win something much more important this week.