The Hanging of Innocent Ogoni 9: Nigeria and $hell Should Hold a Minute Silence & Plan their exoneration

 Importantly, the Nigerian Government and Royal Dutch $hell, which conspired to kill the Ogoni Nine because Ogonis under the leadership of Saro-Wiwa exposed the environmental degradation they face, can write a new and acceptable history by holding a public One Minute silence for these martyrs on Saturday, November 10, 2012 and declare them innocent because they’re and not criminals as was frivolously claimed.It can be recalled that the Ogoni Nine were also hanged by the Nigerian State for being part of a peaceful and nonviolent movement demanding respect, equal treatment and the development of Ogoni, including demand for resource control and environmental protection as contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR), which demands proper federalism hence political autonomy or self-rule within Nigeria to allow Ogonis control their own affairs like other groups in the country.

Although achieving a minute silence might be seen by some as unattainable, considering concerns for self-indictment, which the world know as obvious, or even wrong for government and the corporation. It’s one of the best or greatest things to do if the courage is summed and act seen as reconciliatory and governmentally, socio-politically and economically expedient. Of course, there can be no shame or wrong in doing what’s right!The most important thing required of the government and $hell to do without delay and as I have emphasized previously, is declare the Ogoni Nine innocent and exonerated posthumously because they are and their killers above know this truth to be self-evident. The kangaroo-state and corporate trial of 1995 should be declared null and void because it’s illegal and smacked all civilized practices of due process of law.

That is proper investigation devoid of negative and self-serving state and corporate influence and adulteration, fair and speedy trial with defendants’ right to proper defense; the presentation of evidence and right to appeal among other elements were fragrantly ignored and violated.
Although some people think or believe the military government of Nigeria killed the Ogoni Nine and so successive governments have little or nothing to do with the November 10, 1995 hanging. And these are mostly Nigerians and outsiders who may not really understand what happened between 1958 when oil was struck in large commercial quantities and May 1994 in Ogoni, when Saro-Wiwa was illegally arrested.

During the period of May and subsequent months in 1994, other illegal and massive arrests were also made through road blocks and torturing  Ogonis having been snatched from cars, homes invasion and office crackdown that brought about the sham trial of in 1995 (with the failed aim to cheaply justify the planned killing of Saro-Wiwa, who was government and $hell’s target) that resulted in the October misjudgment and hanging of November 10. Reality is that the issues against which Saro-Wiwa sought redress by forming and led the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) are deliberate obnoxious laws such as Land Use Decree and the Petroleum Laws, which followed the advent of oil production in Oloibri (Ijaw) and Ogoni in 1956 and 1958 respectively. These are draconian laws co-opted and embedded in the Federal Constitution of Nigeria to the detriment of the oil bearing or producing communities.

As mentioned earlier the issues are likewise those of environmental pollution and degradation and other human rights abuses orchestrated by the Hausa-Fulani and other so-called majority ethnic groups’ oligarchy, politicians or cabal who seek partnership with few feeble individuals and politicians from the so-called minority ethnic groups, including Ogoni.

By so doing a policy of divide and conquer is entrenched that what we know to be systemic corruption, violence and quagmire endures. To proof the oligarchy or cabal’s policies and theories holds whether under military or Nigeria’s crippling democratic rule, the Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency made and is making no difference in respecting and treating Ogonis especially the issues of the Ogoni Nine and the Ogoni Bill of Rights better.

If Obasanjo is from Yoruba considered one of the majority ethnic groups, then of course, Jonathan is an Ijaw of Niger delta. He thus understands or should understand the environmental degradation, inequalities and  human rights abuses in Niger delta, which Ogonis fight to correct and the Ogoni Nine fought and were hanged.

In short,  Jonathan is sitting on the policy of ignoring the Ogoni Nine, and repeating the policies of disrespect, human rights abuses and zero development of Ogoni.

If after seventeen years of the wrongful hanging of the Ogoni Nine government and $hell haven’t seen any reason to act right toward Ogoni and the Ogoni Nine, and $hell is denying polluting Ogoni it caused for about 45 years: 1958 to 2003 (and couldn’t dispute pollution nor blame sabotage when Saro-Wiwa launched the Ogoni struggle in 1993) , before 2004 when bunkering or oil theft its officials and government staff including the Nigerian Armed Forces JTF are reportedly involved began due to Ijaw youths militancy resulting from exploitation and gross neglect, violence against the people who own these oil lands otherwise known as Niger deltans.

I wonder why Nigeria was furious when on August 2, 2012, Ogoni Political Autonomy was declared to taking the people’s destiny into their own hands as encouraged by international law, which also encourages government respect and equal protection of all groups and peaceable coexistence by groups. Such coexistence is especially where there is mutual agreement and understanding- not coercion as the case with Nigeria and Ogoni.

Meanwhile, if you’ve refused to accept your responsibilities as the case with Nigeria, refused to respect and treat Ogonis properly and with dignity, if you refused to see Ogonis as equal members and contributors of the Nigeria federation who deserve better, why think you’ve any right over them? Why must the Nigerian Government think it can control or dictate for Ogoni and others similarly situated when no document or treaty exist as evidence showing they or Ogoni willfully consented to becoming a member of the Nigerian contraption created by Britain?

Even where there was such agreement, it must have been predicated on certain terms and conditions. The sordid experiences of the Ogoni people today should be enough to show that such agreement has been breached by Nigeria, hence the justification for taking the people’s destiny into their hands.

To show that Nigeria and its government, though during a military regime, killed the Ogoni Nine for misplaced fear that Ken Saro-Wiwa’s message of the truth which is respect for and equality of  all groups that were forced into Nigeria, proper federalism and resource control may break the country, and Saro-Wiwa’s refusal to withdraw his international environmental campaign exposing $hell and Nigerian government for polluting the land.

All the government or federal administration since the unjust, wrongful, illegal and criminal hanging have stuck to the decision of the Abacha’s military government. This implies the hanging was a state, corporate and not military policy. As such successive governments have transferred responsibility and accountability to defend this policy and protect the state. Any and all new administrations after Abacha also have the responsibility to account for this action and overall mistreatment of Ogoni and to solve same where they haven’t been attended as currently is.  To further buttress this state policy, an attempt about two years ago by former Sen. Lee Maeba who is from Ogoni, to sponsor a bill asking the Nigerian State to honor Ken Saro-Wiwa for being killed wrongfully, his achievements for the country especially fight for equality, democracy and good, transparent and accountable/responsible government was rebuked. This hateful shout-down was by senators from the domineering majority ethnic groups whose politicians have usurped Ogoni/Niger delta oil resources for their enrichment and development of their ethnic nationalities.

In concluding, irrespective of the above, it isn’t too late for the government/politicians and $hell Oil to think right, act and do right by Ogoni. Doing right by Ogoni and the Ogoni Nine includes holding a public One Minute silence on Saturday (or any day during the anniversary week or work day the following week), November 10 in honor of the martyrs. It’s appropriate to exonerate them from all Nigerian criminal books because they weren’t criminals, rather innocent people hanged for their defense of the truth, freedom, justice and peace.

The Ogoni Nine should also be giving national honors and celebrated on every November 10 as national holiday if such day falls on weekends or workday. Additionally, the Ogoni degraded environment for which they’re killed should be attended. Though signal may show something is being done about it with the formation of Nigerian Hydrocarbon and Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP), which is a duplication of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSRA), etc. and a waste of resources.

Immediate and concrete steps should be taken and not gimmick or known 419 by Nigerian government and $hell, to engage Ogonis, create an open and honest, dynamic and consistent communication medium where happenings and updates regarding cleanup shall be discussed. Full and accurate or honest disclosure and discussion in the land, creek restoration and the restoration of the people through compensation and sustainable development for lost livelihoods and health issues arising from the pollution are necessary and should be made public because this is the proper and civilized thing to do.

In nutshell the UNEP report and addendum such as Bori State and Ogoni Political Autonomy should be implemented to suit the demands and satisfaction of the Ogoni people. To assist with the cleanup project and sustain whatever dividend that shall be made from same, government should immediately create Bori State. It should also work closely with Ogonis as approved by international law on Indigenous People’s Rights and rights to self-determination, etc. to support and implement the Ogoni Political Autonomy demanded as the minimum Ogonis will accept from Nigeria.

Taking these steps is imperative and shouldn’t generate any kind of shame to the government and $hell, if Nigeria understands the attendant risks that comes with forcing Ogonis to think their independence out of Nigeria, which the country already fears and which isn’t an easy thing, yet not impossible, as last resort due to decades of neglect and genocidal policies against them.

As written by Ben Ikari

*This article is a republication as part of our Nov. 10th special editions to remember Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni8