We therefore believe that your public hearing forum would allow us the chance to make a passionate appeal to the government of this country through the parliament.

The Ogoni people were organized under the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) that was formed by Ken Saro Wiwa in 1990, the organization served as a megaphone to alert the world of a "culture of modernized slavery" through Nigerian State apparatus. Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), through her nine affiliate bodies, recruited about 50,000 working activists, for the purpose of ensuring fairness in the management and distribution of the Nigerian national wealth that is mainly gotten from the small tribes.

Against the foregoing, a monumental and catastrophic hanging of Ken Saro Wiwa and eight others took place on the 10th of November 1995; this marked the climax of years of unconventional and subtitles genocide by successive Nigerian administrations. After the callous murder of the leaders of the Ogoni people, the government meticulously set dragnets around these about 50,000 activists. Hence, there had always been occurring exodus of Ogoni into exile because of founded fears of persecutions by the government against those who believe in the liberation of their motherland through MOSOP.

These people are basically scattered around the West African coast, though the largest number are in the Republic of Benin. On Nigeria’s return to "plain clothe" government under Olusegun Obasanjo, the government’s focal point has been, how to resume oil operations in the Ogoniland, without respect to the due and legal demands of the Ogoni ethnic nationality. There has been therefore, an increasing face-off between the Nigerian State and several thousands of Ogoni people.

The Nigerian government had also tried as much as she could to make sure that the dirty oil policies and practices are not made known as it were in the 1990s when Ken Saro Wiwa headed the campaign. She thus covers up all crises in the Niger Delta in general and Ogoniland in particular.

The current formulae by the Nigerian state, is to carry out satellite search by monitoring and persecuting those who insist on achieving wholesome exploration agreement between Nigerian government cum the oil multi nationals and the Ogoni people.

Consequently, this organization; is conceived to operate as an awareness and campaign platform for the world to become abreast of the recurring events in Ogoniland in general and particularly the insecurity of those that are seeking political asylum in Benin Republic and other West African countries.

a) To raise awareness to the world concerning what is happening in Ogoniland and to person(s) who are on exile on account of their activities as protagonist of change in the Nigerian body politics and oil exploration policies and practices by the multi national companies.

b) To raise awareness and concern for international protection for the Ogoni people against persecutions, torture, molestation, deprivations and intimidation on account of the above.

c) To canvass and mobilize solidarity and concern for the Ogoni people being persecuted and evolve practical solutions to the state of the Ogoniland in general.

d) To advocate and mobilize for international concern over the Nigerian oil policies as it affect the minority groups in general and the Ogoniland as an ethnic group.

e) To create informative forum for the world to constantly know of the events in Ogoniland in respect to the self-determination struggle by the Ogoni people.

f) The OSF shall liaise with governments, NGOs, religious bodies etc, in other to solicit and lobby for proper rehabilitation of exiled Ogoni people. As long as such rehabilitation process will not lead to the end of the Ogoni struggles, when the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) has not been attended to by the Nigerian government.

g) Ogoni Solidarity Forum also give substantial support or arrange for such substantial support for Ogoni activists that are considered to be in distress condition on account of their roles(s) as members, as followers and participants in the fight for the liberation of our Ogoniland.

The Ogoni Solidarity Forum has completed all the necessary requirements for registration as a voluntary organization with South African department for social service. And we have been given the permission to proceed in our operations. We have therefore planned to undertake the following projects as a way of generating funds internally for the sustainability of our goals:

(1) Production of a 24 to 26 pages handbook/newsletter by monthly

(2) The design of a website

(3) To publish five books

(4) Establishment of a fast food and Internet café

(5) Establishment of a library at the self sustained refugee camp in Ouidah Benin Republic where about 800 Ogoni refugees and activist are hiding from Nigerian persecutions.

(1) Material for the handbook/newsletter has been completed and edited and designed and we ought to have printed it, if not for financial constrains

(2) The material for the website is also completed and also ought to have finished the design and hosting if not for financial constrains.

(3) The Project Coordinator has written five different books, both on Ogoniland and Christian based literature and moral teachings, he has donated the books, which are different stages of editing, proof reading. The books will be printed September, so that they could be launched on November 10^th 2005, to mark ten years of the killing of Ken Saro Wiwa and remind the world of the situation that he was killed for. Every proceeds from the books shall be for the Ogoni Solidarity Forum. We have already obtained quotations from printers and ISBN numbers from the national library for these books, meaning that the books would be self published by the organization. We have attached these quotations and the ISBN numbers for you to make background checks and confirmations.

(4) The fast food and Internet café is planned for the second quarter of 2006 and shall be established for the purpose of serving as an additional funds generation and consolidation for the Ogoni Solidarity Forum.

(5) We plan to use the launching of the five books to call on the public to donate used educational books for all levels of learning. We plan to use different method between December 2005 to March 2006 to raise no fewer than 2000 books from individuals and organizations. We also plan to buy some according to our resources; these books will be sent to the refugee camp. And we shall also sort for two or three volunteers that would be willing to spend between six months with the refugees' community developing them for "help-yourselves-educational and career" development.

The handbook/newsletter will create awareness of our existence and operations in South Africa as we hope to print 3000 copies. More than five hundred copies will be distributed to organizations all over the world. It will also be distributed to libraries within South Africa, so that people can read and be aware of the current event in the Ogoni struggle. It will also generate income for us, as we shall use it to raise money during the launch from churches, schools and individuals.

The website will greatly build the image of the organization, reach as many people and organizations that the handbook may not be able to reach and tell about us the more.

Two of the books that have been written directly promote the struggle; the other three contribute to the issues of morality for mankind. The first two books will help to bring back the interest of the world to the Ogoni people and the Niger Delta again, because the issue received attention through the pen of Ken Saro Wiwa. And the role of books as campaign materials can never be over emphasized.

The fact that many organizations are dying daily because of lack of funding is not a secret, and bearing in mind the cause that we are pursuing and the fact that it is a long time project. We have to develop our own business that will grow with the organization and reduce drastically, our depending on donor founders, which have not bought into our project as at this time.

The library will help to keep the community meaningful engaged and more beneficial to the struggle and themselves as they were stopped from schooling and various careers because of the fight for their father's land.

Pastor: Barry Barinaadaa Saro Wuganaale was born on the 7^th of June 1972 in Rivers State, Nigeria. He schooled at state school 2, Ibadan street, Port Harcourt, National Professional Secondary School, Port Harcourt and Western Ahoada County High School, Ahoada, all in Rivers State of Nigeria. He developed a career in marketing and salesmanship. For about seven years, he worked in Gakson Graphics Limited, Belatec Steel Construction Limited, Kinvimobel Limited and Ugolin Chemical at the following capacities: Sales Officer, Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commercial Manager and Sales Manager.

He got the calling of God and left career marketing in 1998 and went into evangelism and discipleship training under Rev. Eko Joe Nwikonzor in The Ascension Apostolic Church and also had complimentary training from the Christian Ministry Institute, where he taught briefly. He was deployed to African Commission for Frontier Mission (ACMF). His deployment to ACMF enabled him to travel to the Republic of Benin for a short practical with the Ogoni refugees.

As an Ogoni himself, who knew the reason behind the persecution of the Ogonis in exile, Pastor Barry became compelled to stay behind with the refugees and join in fighting for justice for his people and the Ogoniland. Instead of going back home to be engaged with full time Pastoring while his people are being denied protection and justice.

By devoting time to the plight of Ogoni Asylum Seekers and Refugee, he became drawn into the campaign that eventually made him part of the exiled community. He started by building the spirituality of the community and formed a non-denominational refugee fellowship that still runs to this day. The refugee fellowship had created positive impact upon the exiled Ogoni community.

Pastor Barry is happily married to Mrs. Dorathy Leyere-ue Barry. Because of the passion that he has for the liberation of Ogoni people, he has donated his first set of books he books to the Ogoni Solidarity Forum as fund raising tools. There are five books in all and all at very advance stages of preparation for publishing.

We would appreciate if the Portfolio Committee on Affairs planned public hearing on the 30^th of August would be able t give us the space to make our appeal to the people and government of South African.

Recently, the government of Nigeria set up a committee to mediate into the Ogoni matter, the committee has both local and international arms. We as exiles have written to the international body that is anchoring the local body on this move. We would therefore wish to use this forum to appeal to the South African parliament to motivate an involvement into this move, so that the exiles would be able to an integral part of any peaceful resolution of the Ogoni matter.

We also wish to state that this appeal is a reflection of the faith that we have in the South African state, peoples and the civil society to help and protect the unprotected Ogoni exiles within the many African states, especially in the context of the new African brotherhood that your country is championing.

Incase of any doubt about which we are, we kindly refer you to the following organizations that we have worked and are still in good working relationship with in Cape Town and even on continental level.

1. The Workers World Media Production

No. 41 Salt River Road,

Salt River.

Contact Person: Mr. Martin Jassen

021-4472727

2. ILRIG

Same address as above

Contact Person: Mr. Ronald

021-4476375

3. AIDC

129 Rochester Road

Observatory

Contact Person: Jennifer Susan Chiriga

021-4475770

0837411991

4.All African Conference of Churches

(An affiliate of World Council of churches in charge of West Africa)

P. O Box 2268

Lome, Togo

Tel: +228-221-5924 or 228 – 222 -0569

Fax: +228-221-5266

Contact Person: Madame Victoria Akakpo

Thanking you in advance for you love that you would demonstrate for the underprivileged

Yours Sincerely

Pastor Barry Saro Wuganaale

Project Coordinator

Tel: 021-4477079

Cell: 0736275495