From Douglas Blessing, Port Harcourt
A coalition of Rivers civil society organisations, on Wednesday, had a peaceful protest in the streets of Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State demanding that late environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni sons be exonerated from the crime which they were accused leading to their unjust murder in 1995.
The group embarked on the protest to mark the 26th commemoration of the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa and the eight others.
They said accepting the proposed pardon was an admittance that the execution of the late environmentalist and his comrades was right, insisting that such a pardon as offered by President, Mohammadu Buhari, was meant for criminals and not for the killed environmental activists.
The walked the streets with placards with inscription such as “Exonerate Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other now, we demand exoneration not pardon and leave Ogoni oil in the soil”.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, Chairman, Rivers State Civil Society Organisations (RISCSO), Enefaa Georgewill, stressed that the pardon was an avenue by the Federal Government to resume oil exploration on Ogoniland, describing it as insensitive and offensive to their memory and that of other victims of environmental injustice in Ogoni.
He said, “We are of the view that the proposal to pardon Ken Saro-Wiwa and his comrades is insensitive and offensive to their memory and that of other victims of environmental injustice. We also consider it a denial of the need to bring closure to the thousands of Ogonis who were victims of government driven repression characterised by murders, rape, torture and forced exile.
“Civil Society groups maintain that it is important to reiterate that proposing an unnecessary pardon for the Ogoni nine seemingly in exchange for support to reopen OML 11 is in bad fate and capable of breeding conflict, the president is interested in reversing the injustice which the murder of Ogoni nine represent, the appropriate action is to exonerate the Ogoni martyrs and apologies to the Ogoni people”.
Enefaa however advised the Federal Government to set aside $100bn as take off fund for the remediation of the entire Niger Delta region as well as tender an apology to the Ogoni people foe their many years of suffering in the hands of the federal government.
“Apologies for the depletion of the Ogoni environment, the killing of their people, the loss of their livelihoods, the destruction of their villages, the forced exile of their people and the murder of their leaders, it is pertinent to note that the move to resume exploration of oil in Ogoniland happening against the backdrop of the contentious cleanup of polluted sites in Ogoni, raises fears and fuels scinicism.
“We advise the president to institute strategies for a region wide cleanup of the entire Niger Delta of decades of environmental pollution by setting aside $100bn as take off fund for the clean up of the entire Niger Delta.”
On his part, Legbosi Yamaabana, President General, Ogoni Youths Federation, who expressed sadness that the late business tycoon and politician MKO Abiola, a counterpart of Saro Wiwa was awarded a posthumous national award, Saro-Wiwa and his comrades were abandoned, added that every November 10th, be made a public holiday in honour of Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists.
