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On November 10th 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni colleagues were executed by the Nigerian state for campaigning against the devastation of the Niger Delta by oil companies, especially Shell and Chevron.

NEWS

The RSW bus to visit Liverpool

The Living Memorial to Ken Sawo-Wiwa will be in Liverpool from the 23rd to 25th April at the International Slavery Museum, Albert Docks with events at Tate Liverpool and Saro-Wiwa Bar, Liverpool Guild of Students. More details >> Events Calendar

The 12th Anniversary marked in London

The Living Memorial to Ken Saro-Wiwa at the South Bank Centre. Photo: Martin LeSanto-Smith

What happens when a quiet afternoon along the river Thames collides with Fela Kuti’s relentlessly funky Afrobeat? The frustrations and inequalities of Nigeria and the Niger Delta force their way through the music and flood into the imagination.
Across the world on November 10th people gather to celebrate the life of Ken Saro-Wiwa with music, performances and events that raise awareness and commemorate the anniversary of the executions of Ken and his eight Ogoni colleagues. The recent anniversary in London was no exception, with a special programme organised by the Remember Saro-Wiwa coalition. The outrage caused by the executions is as palpable as it was in 1995 and Ken’s legacy continues to inspire the determination to achieve justice in the Niger Delta.
For the 12th anniversary, RSW joined forces with AFROGROOV and Afro Pop Live to present live music from the sensational singer Nneka, (who is from Warri in the Niger Delta) supported by a band of African musicians; Kofi (on percussion), Aio (on saxophone) and Koko (on djembe drum). A heady fusion of African hip hop and Afrobeat was provided by AFROGROOV’s DJ Eric Soul.
The music event at London’s South Bank Centre took place alongside the Living Memorial to Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Eight, a fully mobile, 10ft high, steel sculpture of a Nigerian Bus. Thousands of people saw the Bus from its arrival in the morning and they were met with information, discussion and debate by a passionate team from Remember Saro-Wiwa.

Nneka singing beside the Living Memorial. She spoke from experience about life in the Niger Delta. Photo: Martin LeSanto-Smith

The main act was the Nigerian superstar Nneka, whose incredible voice filled the night sky with her heartfelt lyrics. Nneka’s range of acoustic tunes is delivered in tender, soulful melodies and uplifting RnB, making her an instant crowd-pleaser. Her personal experience of the hardships of life in the Niger Delta and her humility left the audience moved and captivated.

Evening saw a volley of fireworks illuminate the riverside and a thunderous rumble of drum beats on steel hushed the growing crowd. Then the band kicked off with up-tempo African rhythms, sustained by rippling applause.

‘Kofi plays oil drums on top of the Remember Saro-Wiwa Bus’. Photo: Martin LeSanto-Smith

Ben Amunwa and Dan Gretton from PLATFORM addressed the crowd and held a short commemorative ceremony in honour of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues. They also spoke messages of solidarity with the people of the Niger Delta and protest at the irresponsible activities of Shell in Nigeria, whose Waterloo headquarters were visible from the event.
With many thanks to the South Bank Centre, the Arts Council England, Eric Soul of AFROGROOV, Yemi Alade-Lawal of Afro Pop Live, musicians Aio, Kofi, Koko, photographer Martin LeSanto-Smith and James Marriott, Dan Gretton and Mika Minio Paluello from PLATFORM.

Links:
www.nnekaworld.com
www.myspace.com/nnekaworld
www.myspace.com/aquivinyl
www.myspace.com/afrogroov

The RSW bus visits Shell's UK headquarters

The Remember Saro-Wiwa Bus outside the headquarters of Shell UK

LISTEN to the event

When three tonnes of steel parks on your doorstep in a rare display of protest you might well take notice. That was certainly the case when the RSW bus pulled up at Shell's London headquarters on a bright Tuesday afternoon in October.

Our visit to Shell was part of a tribute to Anita Roddick, which transformed London's South Bank into a theatre of resistance. Following Dame Anita's memorial service, the 'I am an Activist' march saw thousands join her family and friends to celebrate her life and activism.

A vast projection shone the words:

'Get the Shell out of Nigeria'

The projection onto the Shell Centre. Photo: Kristian Buus

The march processed along the South Bank to the head office of Shell UK, where the RSW bus beamed a message from Ken Saro-Wiwa; 'I accuse the oil companies of practising genocide against the Ogoni'.

Above our heads a vast projection shone the words 'Get the Shell out of Nigeria' onto the imposing edifice of Shell Centre, a spectacle visible across London. The bus was also animated by a cast of dancing puppets, Nigerian drummers and the thousands who showed their support for the march.

Nigerian drumming on the rooftop of the bus. Photo: Kristian Buus

Anita Roddick played a critical role in the global campaign to highlight abuses by the oil industry in the Niger Delta in the early 1990s, and she and her husband Gordon have been key supporters of the Remember Saro-Wiwa initiative to create a Living Memorial in London to Ken Saro-Wiwa and his 8 Ogoni colleagues.

The issues of the Niger Delta haven't gone away - Shell still get a substantial portion of their oil from the Delta, they continue to use the hugely polluting practice of gas flaring and there are regular, major oil spills.

Our tribute to Anita brought home the message to Shell UK's headquarters that the company will continue to be held to account for the environmental devastation and human rights abuses caused by their activities in the Niger Delta.

Links:

For more info about the I am an Activist initiative see: http://www.iamanactivist.org/

For background on the issues of the Niger Delta CLICK HERE

TO VISIT THE NEWS ARCHIVE CLICK HERE

BOOKS AVAILABLE NOW
(Click for more details)

The Next Gulf: London, Washington & Oil Conflict in Nigeria	Dance the Guns to Silence: 100 Poems for Ken Saro-Wiwa	A Month and a Day and Letters.

L-R: Lee Jasper, Ken Wiwa, William Boyd, Kadija Sesay, Helon Habila, Linton Kwesi Johnson, David A. Bailey,
Dan Gretton and Anita Roddick at the Remember Saro-Wiwa launch, March 2005.

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