World oil giant, Shell has agreed to pay $15.5 million (£9.6 million) in settlement of a legal action in which it was accused of having collaborated in the execution of activist and writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other leaders of the Ogoni tribe in Rivers state, Nigeria. The settlement which was reached on the eve of the trial in a federal court in New York, was one of the largest payouts agreed by a multinational corporation charged with human rights violations. The scale of the payment was being seen by experts in human rights law as a step towards international businesses being made accountable for their environmental and social actions. A lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights, Jennie Green, who initiated the lawsuit in 1996, said:
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"This was one of the first cases to charge a multinational corporation with human rights violations, and this settlement confirms that multinational corporations can no longer act with the impunity they once enjoyed."
The deal follows three weeks of intensive negotiation between the 10 plaintiffs, mainly drawn from relatives of the executed Ogoni nine, and Shell. The oil giant, and its Nigerian subsidiary Shell Petroleum Development Company, continue to dismiss all the claims made against them, saying they played no part in the violence that swept southern Nigeria in the 1990s. Malcolm Brinded, a Shell director, said the company was making the payment in recognition of the tragic turn of events in Ogoni land.
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"While we were prepared to go to court to clear our name, we believe the right way forward is to focus on the future for Ogoni people."
The settlement marks the end of a 14-year personal journey for Ken Wiwa Jr, son of the executed leader. Out of the $15.5m settlement, $5m will be used to set up a trust called Kiisi - meaning
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"progress"
in the Ogoni Gokana language, to support educational and other initiatives in the Niger delta.
I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years
Posted: at 2-12-2015 12:50 PM (8 years ago) | Hero
AFTER HOW MANY YEARS? INHUMANE PEOPLE. WILL THE MONEY BRING HIM BACK TO LIFE? WHAT ABOUT JUSTICE FOR HIS FAMILY? WHY NOT MENTION ALL THE CULPRITS INVOLVED IN HIS DEATH? ABACHA IS LATE BUT HIS CRONIES ARE STILL ALIVE. WHY NOT ARRESTED THEM AND TAKE THEM TO THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) TO STAND TRIAL FOR THE MURDER OF KEN SARO WIWA? MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING. THERE IS NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE.
Posted: at 2-12-2015 01:17 PM (8 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Dis money will end up in some so called elders hand instead of to develop their land wit it. I don't like anythg monetary compensation for community cus it will cause confusion and division among them. Beside I never knew shell join in d northern military assassination of d OGONI 9 o. Hmmm na wa o. Finally justice is coming to them.
Posted: at 2-12-2015 01:37 PM (8 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Opportunity to make the greedy ones rich the more cos, this said money wont get to the right pple's hand but to the greedy ones. such a petty that the deads are lying 6ft below while they are been compensated for their killing. My Question is: Are they aware of the $15.5 million (£9.6 million) paid to them?
Posted: at 2-12-2015 04:27 PM (8 years ago) | Upcoming
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