The Ogoni people in Rivers State remember Ken Saro-Wiwa and others killed 16 years ago in the cause of their struggle  for the remediation of their land devastated by pollution

The spirits of Ken Saro-Wiwa,  Ogoni environmental rights activist and eight of his kinsmen who were hanged on November 10, 1995, during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha was invoked recently when the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, marked the 16th year anniversary of their murder.

The event which took place in Bori, headquarters of Khana local government area of Rivers State, was also used to commemorate the murder of other Ogoni martyrs who were termed as “vultures” and  killed in Ogoniland.  They are Edward Kobani, former commissioner in Rivers State; Albert Badey, former secretary to Rivers State government, SSG; Samuel Orage, John Kpuinen, Theophilus Orage, Barinem Kiobel, Daniel Gbokoo, Baribor Bera, Paul Levura, Nordu Eawo, Felix Nuate, and Saturday Dobee.

Ledum Mitee, president of MOSOP, said the killing of the 13 Ogoni indigenes was the darkest period in the people’s struggle for justice, and described them as martyrs. “The heroes we remember may not be physically here with us today, but we must be consoled that they are spiritually with us and within us and there is also every reason for us to be proud, therefore, that our martyrs even live daily in any improvements in the situation of, or concessions to the Niger Delta,” Mitee said.

He explained that though these people died in the course of their struggle for environmental rights,   the challenges were still there as shown by the recent damning report by the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP, which confirmed the pollution of Ogoniland by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC. He lamented that despite the huge revenue that the country continuously reaps from oil and gas in the Niger Delta environment, not much was done to improve the welfare of the impoverished people.

The MOSOP president, however, urged Nigerians to share in the sacrifices of Ogoni people in particular and Niger Delta in general. “When we launched the Ogoni Bill of Rights in 1990, we complained that environmental devastation, political marginalisation and economic strangulation, threatened to drive our people into extinction. We were very conscious that we could only speak for ourselves but we knew very well that our message applied also to the rest of the Niger Delta where people were undergoing similar devastation that we suffer,” Mitee said.

Mitee condemned the federal government’s inaction on the recommendations of the UNEP report even after it has been backed by unanimous resolutions of both Houses of National Assembly. Mitee said it was based on government’s action to the UNEP report that compelled Ogoni people to embark on a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt, on November 7, just a few days to the 16th anniversary of the murder of Ogoni martyrs. The protesters were armed with placard urging President Goodluck Jonathan to take urgent steps on the UNEP report. The inscriptions on some of the placards read: “Ogoni people want clean environment, not army camp,” “Our non-violence is not weakness,” “Ogoni atmosphere is highly contaminated,” “Save Ogoni lives, implement UNEP Report now,” “Restore Ogoni environment now” and “Clean up the Niger Delta.”

The MOSOP protesters marched to the Government House, Port Harcourt, where they were received by Tele Ikuru, the deputy governor of the state. Mitee delivered to Ikuru, a letter, from Ogoni people which was addressed through the state government to President Jonathan. The letter to the President was copied the UN’s Secretary-General; senate president; speaker of the House of Representatives; chairman, Senate Committee on Environment; chairman, House Committee on Environment, and Senator Magnus Abe, a senator from Ogoni.