Chinwe Maduagwu and Chukwudi Obi
10 November 2006
opinion
Lagos — It has been 11 years since the Ogoni nine were executed. In this report CHINWE MADUAGWU and CHUKWUDI OBI, take a look at their struggle and how much progress the Niger Delta region has made since their death.
I am not one of those who shy away from protesting injustice and oppression, arguing that these are expected in a military regime. The Military do not act alone. They are supported by a gaggle of politicians and businessmen, all of them hiding under the claim that they are only doing their duty-men and women too afraid to wash their pants of urine".-Ken Saro-Wiwa.
The day was Friday, the date November 10, and the year 1995. That day 11-years ago behind the walls of the Port Harcourt prisons, nine sons of Ognoiland were hanged having been convicted of murder by a special military tribunal.
The run who since their hazing have come to be Devitrified as the Ogoni 9 were, convicted by the Ogoni Civil Disturbances tribunal.
The men who since their hanging have come to be identified as the Ogoni 9' were, convicted by the Ogoni Civil Disturbances tribunal, set up under the regime of general Sani Abacha.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, Playwright, environmental activist and president, Movement for the survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), and eight of kinsmen were sentenced to death by hanging by the Justice Ibrahim Anta-led tribunal for the murder of four of their kinsmen on May 21, 1994.
The other eight were Messers Barinem Kiobel, John Kpunien, Saturday Dobue, Felix Muate, Monday Eawo, Daniel Gbakoo and Paul levura.
They were convicted and executed over their alleged complicity in the death of chiefs Edward Kobni, Tompson Orage, Sam Orage and Albert Badeh, acting under the auspices of Mosop, established in 1990 by Saro-Wiwa to fight against environmental damage connected with activities of multinational oil companies in the Niger-Delta, especially Shell.
However, one of the accused persons Mr Ledum Mitee was discharged and acquitted by the tribunal which sat in Port Harcourt, on the grounds that the prosecution did not prove the case against him beyond all reasonable doubt.
Today as every November 10, the world remembers the unjust killing of the men who many believe were killed for their struggle for the self actualization of the Ogoni people.
After the formation Mosop, Saro-wiwa penned the Ogoni bill of Rights where such demands as increased autonomy for Ogoniland, a fair share of the proceeds of oil extraction in the Niger Delta and reparation for damage done to the environment of Ogoni community were made.
Unfortunately despite the years that have passed the situation of the Ogoni people and the Niger Delta region has not changed much making it difficult not to remember the death of those who died during that struggle without bitterness.
This sad state of affairs was aptly captured in an interview granted by Ken Wiwa Junior to the observer of London earlier in the year.
Though he is today part of the President Olusegun Obasanjo governments being his Special Assistant on peace, conflict resolution and reconciliation, he recognized the difficult in forgetting his father's death.
Said he, "As much as I want to forgive, to forget it would be a dereliction of facial duty because many of the systematic problems that contributed to my father's death-endemic corruption, casual disregard for the rule of human, moral and natural law by government and by multinational oil companies remain cancerous cells in the body politic of my country .as some one once told me, a Wiseman never gets himself into the kind of trouble that a cleaner man can talk himself out of."
Wiwa Jur further posed a question for Nigerian and its leaders - "how will the Delta regions long-standing problems be resolved by revolution or by revolution?
Evidence on ground seem to suggest that right now there as a conflict between the two. Perhaps having growing impatient and wearing of waiting for solutions through evolution, some members of the region have decided to do it the revolutionary way hence groups such as the Niger Delta People's volunteer force (NDPVF), led by Alhaji Mujahid Dakubo-Asari, currently in detention, The movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Joint Revolutionary council (SRC), a grouping of several militant groups have continued to terrorize the area.
Hardly a day passes without incidents of kidnapping, abduction, killing or bombing by members of these groups all in an attempt to get the government attention as well as that of the oil companies operating in the region.
Indeed, the degradation in the Niger Delta due to the activities of the oil companies can neither be debated nor denied yet the question still remains, will such militant/revolutionary actions solve the problem?
President Obasanjo for one does not think so and he has made it clear that this government will not be intimidated by such actions insisting those who partake in revolutionary actions will be death with.
He is also made efforts to improve the lot of the Niger Delta people. The establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), soon after his assumption of office is a step in this direction.
According to the president during his recent visit to Bayelsa State, "the establishment of NDDC was governments appreciation of the long years of neglect of people of the area and the need to practically address these neglects".
It is on record that the commission since inception has completed 2,000 projects, has 670 projects nearing completion and 140 on going such projects include construction of health centres, free medical care, road projects, rural electrification, water project as well as building/rehabilitation of classrooms.
In spite of these however, some people believe the commission has not done enough given the kind of money at its disposal. Former Adviser to Gov Peter Odili on Security matters, chief Sarah Igbe is particularly concerned that "six years after the creation of NDDC, there have been no practical steps to restore the destroyed means of livelihood of the people whose farmlands and fishing occupation love ceased to be due to pollution."
Again as a show of governments commitments to peace in the region President Obasanjo was in Ogoni land earlier in the years to lay the foundation stone for a memorial movement in honour of the 13 men who died in the Ogoni struggle.
While on that visit he admitted that the loss of the 13 Ogoni men at the time it happened was a tragedy for the nation, noting that their death actually signaled the beginning of horror for the nation as it ensured for the nation a pariah status which went on till he was sworn in 1999.
He urged the families of the dead men to take solace in the new found repprochement of the government and allow genuine healing of wounds to take place, promising to grant presidential pardon to the Ogoni nine.
So far that promise is yet to be kept and that has remained a sore point with the families of the Ogoni nine in particular and people of Ogoniland in general.
They want their sons names to be cleared of any criminal involvement as will as the publication of the report of the truth and reconciliation commission headed by ..justice Chukwuedifu Oputa.
Ken Saro-Wiwa was an advocate of peace. For sure if he were to be alife today he will not approve the militancy and violence of the youths of the area.
The only way the government can truly honour him and his kinsmen is by clearing their names and getting the oil companies in the Nigeria Delta to give back as they are reaping.
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