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Governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, in Rivers State, High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, has identified with the people of the Ogoni ethnic nationality as they commemorate 27 years of the “unjust killing” of Environmental Rights activist and social crusader, Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni compatriots.
In a statement issued as part of activities to mark the 27th anniversary of the Ogoni Martyrs’ Day at the NRM Rivers of Hope office in Port Harcourt, Jackrich said the sacrifices of the Ogoni nine, killed following their “non violent demand for environmental justice and economic resuscitation, their works, dreams and aspirations will continue to be a reference point, and advocacy template for the Ogonis and largely the Niger Delta to actualize it’s dream for environmentally safe and economically viable Ogoni and Niger Delta land.”
He urged “the President and commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE Muhammadu Buhari to exonerate the writer, environmental rights activist and social crusader, Ken Saro Wiwa and his fellow Ogoni compatriots of alleged criminal charges which led to their contemptuous and judicial murder by Nigeria’s maximum dictator, Gen Sani Abacha after been sentenced by a kangaroo tribunal.”
Jackrich emphasized the need for the President Buhari led Federal Government to “hearken to the voice of reason and exonerate the names of the Ogoni martyrs from the humiliation of injustice as one of the legacies of his administration knowing that the killing of Ken Saro Wiwa and other eight Ogoni activists was not justifiable as they were not given the opportunity of fair hearing in a normal court of justice.”
According to him, 27 years after the killing of the Ogoni activists, Ogonis have remained endangered species as the issues of environmental justice and economic resuscitation of Ogoni which they advocated for were yet to be addressed.
“27 years after, Ogoni land (Bane) has remained desolate and bearing the brunt of oil pollution and total economic denigration, despite their enormous contributions to the development of Nigeria,” Jackrich added.
He called on President Buhari to expedite action on the remediation of the battered Ogoni environment and implement to the letters the recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Project, UNEP report in Ogoni, as well as declare an emergency on the development of Ogoni land and end the politics of sponsored infraction, and divide and rule tactics.
Quoting from “one of our greatest political thinkers and scholar of blessed memory, Prof Claude Ake that states: ‘Ogoni is the conscience of this country, they have risen above our slave culture of silence. They have found the courage to be free, and they have evolved a political consciousness which denies power to rogues, bullies, fools and hypocrites – for better or for worse Ogoniland holds out hope. Battered and bleeding they struggle on to realize our hopes and to restore our dignity, if they falter we die,” Jackrich noted that as a freedom fighter he is coming today “with the same message of Hope, building upon the foundation of our fathers and heroes.
“As we reflect upon the great life and legacy of this great messenger of Hope (Saro Wiwa), we must always remember his words that ‘You can kill the messenger, but you cannot kill the message,’ the message of Hope is still very much alive today.”
He urged all to keep hope alive, adding that “I see Rivers of Hope flowing from Bane in Ogoniland through all parts of Rivers State, Niger Delta, Nigeria and indeed Africa,” while enjoining all to “work together to make this Hope a reality”
Jackrich also called on Ogonis to used the opportunity of the 27th anniversary of the Ogoni Martyrs’ Day remembrance to re-awaken the belief in the Ogoni struggle by remaining more than ever united and resilient against the forces of polarisation to fight for the social economic and political emancipation of Ogoni land, their resource and the people.
