Skip to main content

Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa & the eight other ogonis; 14 years after!

November 10, 2009

About one and a half decade ago, on November 10, 1995 precisely, the Nigerian State murdered Ken Saro Wiwa, then the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and 8 others namely; Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Nordu Eawo, Saturday Doobe, Paul Levura and Daniel Gbokoo.


The Nigerian state during the murderous junta of late General Sani Abacha relied on the so-called conviction of these patriots for the murder of four prominent Ogoni leaders, Chief Edward Kobani, Mr. Albert Badey, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilous Orage on May 21st 1994 to carry out the judicial murder barely 10 days after the ‘judgment’ was passed. The kangaroo judgment was implemented before the 30 days within which it could have been appealed against lapsed.
 
MOSOP under the leadership of Ken struggled for the emancipation the Ogonis following the degradation of their environment as a result of oil exploration. MOSOP, indeed, held the Nigerian state and multi-national oil company, SHELL responsible for the impoverishing the Ogonis.
 
14 years later, poverty, hunger, homelessness still pervades Ogoni-land and the Niger Delta region. The brutal murder of Ken Saro Wiwa was condemned internationally and protested in Nigeria, apologists of the Abacha dictatorship and beneficiaries of the blood money from the Niger Delta saw the killing of the 9 Ogoni patriots as the final anti-dote to put the agitation and restiveness in the region to rest. But barely 3years after the hanging of Ken and co, Niger Delta youths adopted the Kiama declaration and the subsequent sacking of Kiama by the Obasanjo civilian dictatorship led to arms insurrection by youths in the region which nearly led to total collapse of oil exploration before the so called amnesty and surrender of arms by a section of the militants.
 
Ken led the struggle for the self-determination of the Ogonis which had tremendous impact on the struggle of the Niger-delta manifesting in the undying clamour for resource control and autonomy in the region.
 
The UAD in line its’ belief in the fundamental rights of peoples to self-determination identifies and solidarizes with the Ogoni people on the 14 anniversary of the judicial murder of the Ogoni 9, it is not a coincidence that MOSOP affiliated to the UAD right from the birth of the coalition.
 
It is sad that presently the Nigerian state is continuing its deceit and lack of genuine commitment to the resolution of the fundamental questions being raised in the agitation in the Niger Delta since Adaka Boro, Kenule and till now.
 
It is ridiculous that a State that is supposed to seek amnesty from the oppressed and dehumanized people of the Niger-Delta for its irresponsibility is granting so-called amnesty to militants. The truth is that, if the Ogoni struggle and indeed the Niger-Delta struggle borders on the very faulty foundations of this contraption called Nigeria.
 
As we remember Ken and others, we insist that only a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) convoked through the self-conscious activities of the people can address the quagmire that Nigeria is in.
 
We identify with the minimum demands of the Ogonis, that is:
 
 
i.                     THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA MUST ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND OFFER PUBLIC APOLOGY FOR THE JUDICIAL MURDER OF KEN SARO-WIWA AND EIGHT OTHERS, AND THE CRIMINAL ATROCITES BY ITS AGENTS, SHELL AND OIL COMPANIES IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION;
ii.                   IMMEDIATE PAYMENT FOR THE 35 YEARS OF OIL THEFT BY sHELL AND THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT;
iii.                  QUASH THE MURDER CONVICTION;
iv.                 IMMEDIATE CLEAN UP OF THE MESSED OGONI ENVIRONMENT;
v.                   ACCEDE TO THE ISSUES RAISED IN OGONI BILL OF RIGHTS;
vi.                 JUST COMPENSATION TO THE FAMILIES OF THE OGONI MARTYRS;
vii.                DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF THE OIL WEALTH BY THE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA;
 
 
We say no to privatization and its offspring, deregulation. Yes to system, forward to peoples’ freedom
 
 
 
Issued by the United Action for Democracy (UAD), November 10, 2009

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });