If Ogonis ask my opinion or view on the re-selection of Goodluck aka Badluck Jonathan and the 2015 Nigeria’s presidential selection misnamed election. I will declare without equivocation that, there is no reason Ogonis should vote for Jonathan or vote at all in the forthcoming presidential selection. Not voting at all should serve as a mark of protest against the deliberate and ethnic-rooted non-implementation of UNEP report on Ogoni; the denial of political autonomy status to Ogoni by Nigerian rulers and politicians whose ethnic groups already have autonomy by way of state creation. The importance of Ogoni autonomy conspicuously denied is simple: it will cause equality and justice, bring development and security close to the people; will conduce to peace, economic growth and stability of the nation, and it’s in agreement or consistent with the state creation culture of Nigeria which has been on ethnic basis.
This autonomy, which could be through Ogoni State or by whatever name called so long as it guarantee the people the right to rule themselves, will provide Ogonis control of their sociopolitical and economic, cultural and environmental destiny. This is self determination or self rule-self governance within Nigeria, not independence as most Nigerians have lied it’s, and like other ethnic nationalities who shares the 36 states with the exception of Rivers State (which is still multi-ethnic and where Ogoni is lumped) and aren’t more ethnic or indigenous than Ogoni and few others who have been consistently trampled.
In addition, Nigeria led by Jonathan promoted injustice Ibrahim Auta, like Mr. Joseph Daudu, lead-prosecutor was promoted to become chairman or president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for accepting to kill the Ogoni Nine when most others who were approached declined. Jonathan and the National Assembly lied and gambled state creation to buy time, denying overqualified and viable groups such as Ogoni Bori State, which isn’t the MOSOP (Ogoni) demand for political autonomy granted to groups all over the country as mentioned earlier. Jonathan and the lawmakers from the so-called majority ethnic groups including Ijaw have denied Ogoni and its people everything that is good! Why then should or must any Ogoni vote; or should they vote to dig more graves for themselves knowing that voting for Jonathan and voting at all means voting for unemployment, zero access roads and healthcare system and services, other social amenities, hence sicknesses and diseases, death, polluted and dying environment?
Not voting will also serve as a mark of protest against this massive oil-related deaths resulting from more than 50 years of deliberate pollution and poisoning by Royal Dutch $hell (RDS), $hell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC Nigeria), the Nigerian government led by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other oil companies. A polluted and dying Ogoni land and its people means nothing to Jonathan, the federal government and most Nigerians, rather a calculated plan to wipe the people from the surface of the earth so as to inhabiting the oil and gas-rich land. The selection boycott will as well serve as protest against government refusal to decriminalize and honor the Ogoni Nine who were wrongfully and unlawfully murdered by Nigerian government and $hell in November 1995, for mobilizing the people to resisting Nigerian government and $hell’s greed, corrupt practices and violence against defenseless minorities, so-called.
Jonathan and Nigerians in power conspired with $hell, using the fake Nigerian Hydrocarbon Pollution and Restoration Project (HYPREP) to deceive and fail Ogoni on the cleanup recommended by United Nations as one way of helping to save our lives and heal our land, air and water. Today Ogonis are breathing polluted air, drinking water that is 900 times higher in benzene (than World Health Organization’s specification and even Nigeria’s), a carcinogen associated with cancer and other deadly illnesses. Between 2 to 3 out of 8 Ogonis are at risk of cancer, while all Ogonis are exposed to one deadly oil-related illness or the other, including heart-related or respiratory sicknesses and barrenness. As a result of the foregoing Ogonis are dying at exponential rate and there is no one, no government or group to turn to.
There is acute contaminated underground water in Ogoni that has penetrated 6 feet deep below earth surface. This is a dangerous and emergency situation that Jonathan and the lawmakers overruled as normal with no emergency relieves and hazard-care or intervention measures, yet sends relieve materials to their people when they experience hazardous and emergency situations. Ogonis are forced to drink hazardous and deadly water flowing into rivers, creeks and wells, including acid rain from gas flaring. They’re made to die for having the audacity to stop oil from flowing to government and $hell, having been drilled to their veins for oil in more than 35 years with nothing but polluted and dying environment, massive unemployment, hyper-suppression and the killing of the people cited inter alia. Jonathan, National Assembly, most Nigerians and $hell are waiting to watch Ogonis count their last days on earth; the plan is to exterminate Ogoni! So why vote for Jonathan; why vote at all?
All changes and development taking place in Niger delta are denied Ogonis. Yet these changes came by the help of Ogoni struggle and this struggle, which showcased Niger delta and helped to bring Jonathan about through the creation of BAYELSA State, which aimed to pacify the Ogoni/Niger delta struggles, a fact Jonathan once alluded to. The so-called Niger delta ministry has been micro-managed by Jonathan and his people, thus denied Ogoni any development or project allocated by the ministry, yet Ogoni struggle helped its establishment. Ogonis are unmistakably ignored, abandoned and disrespected because they stood to demand their rights; a clean, safe and conducive environment and saying no to genocide.
It’s obvious Jonathan doesn’t merit or deserve the support and votes of Ogoni people. Ogoni land and people means nothing to Jonathan, Nigeria and other politicians fighting over national rulership or ruler-goat. Jonathan and the national lawmakers of the so-called majority ethnic groups have no respect for Ogoni; those living and our late leaders. Led by Jonathan, Nigeria has recognized and honored those they believed or claimed to have played any role to bringing the dead-on-arrival democracy, including those who took up arms against the country. Ironically Jonathan, a Niger deltan and the Nigerian cabal/politicians have continuously ignored Ken Saro-Wiwa who fought hard alongside others to keep Nigeria during the civil war. Saro-Wiwa and 8 others’ unlawful and unjustified hanging stopped and ended military rule. It’s instructive to note without ambiguity that military rule was rooted out when Nigeria killed the Ogoni Nine and it’s suspended from the Common Wealth of Nations with the condition that military dictatorship must end and Nigeria must democratize before it can be readmitted. I don’t know where Jonathan and other rotten bananas masquerading as politicians/rulers were when the struggle that took many lives from Ogoni and Chief M.K.O. Abiola et al, to re-brand Nigeria, which has refused re-branding was on. Seethe thou opportunists now parading and drenching in corruption and bloodbath where the brave were slaughtered for a better day to come!
Consequently, Ogonis are and will be better off not voting and have no development, no state, etc. than vote and remain colonized by Nigeria which makes them the most pitiful or pitiable and state-hated beggars in their own land despite their contributions of resources of oil, gas and blood to the country. Ogonis had the notion that supporting a one, democratic and indivisible Nigeria reeling in sociopolitical, economic, cultural and otherwise growth is the proper thing to do, hence their support before, during and after the Nigerian-Biafra Civil War. Today, the finger, Nigeria, Ogoni helped feed is biting the people hard and refusing to pull its monstrous teeth out even though they’re bleeding to death. That hope, Nigeria, for which Ogonis fought, invest and died has been thwarted and made safe-haven of corruption and ethnic bigotry. It’s been transfigured into the epitome of hatred, cheating including 419 or national scam and oppression, violence, preventable and unjustifiable deaths. So why continue to vote for corruption, gross disrespect, environmental ruins and death; why vote Jonathan-why vote at all?
Ogonis be wise and don’t allow Nigeria, the world to cheat you anymore. You’re known to have risen beyond the culture of fear. Nigeria and its rulers have cheated, destroyed your land and killed your loved ones; they’ve failed you! You must therefore rise, seize today’s focus on human rights. Rise for your freedom, equality and justice; rise for economic development and security, stability-growth and peace. Please rise for a safer, greener environment and global connectivity, collaboration to win your future. Though nothing shall be easy to come by, everything dreamed of and worked for is possible; no one but Ogonis will make presumed impossibility possible; no one can stand in your way if ready, so wake up for your salvation isn’t in Nigeria, but your hands!
