By Daniel Abia - Snr Correspondent, P/Harcourt
The people of Ogoni in Rivers State kick-started this year’s anniversary with peace march that began from Birabi Memorial Grammar School (BMGS), Bori-Ogoni, venue of the event to the police ground also in Bori and back to BMGS. Thousands of Ogoni men, women, and children carried green leaves and sang songs, emphasizing peace, unity, justice and fairplay in the ancient kingdom.
Speaking after the march, Prof Benedict Naanen, the immediate past president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and a renowned scholar called on all Ogoni to unite and work concertedly if they must achieve the aims that led to the formation of MOSOP and the campaign for justice.
Naanen regretted that the Nigerian government has failed to recognize and reward peaceful advocacy favoured by the Ogoni people and instead, albeit regrettably, rewarded other uncivilized methods favoured by other nationalities.
The chair, however, advised the people not to refrain from their peaceful methods.
In his solidarity message, the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike represented by Chief Fred Kpakol, advised the Ogoni people to be united in the effort to secure the environmental, political, economic and social rights of the people. He also advocated support for the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.
On his part, the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, represented by Senator Magnus Abe representative of Rivers South East Senatorial Zone in Nigeria’s Senate commended the people for their steadfastness, courage and peaceful approach in pursuing their demands.
He indicated that although people may not realize the benefits inherent in the approach as the Federal Government has not properly and adequately responded to the cause, the articulate and peaceful nature of the struggle has been acknowledged the world over.
Abe further stated that he had from the outset supported the UNEP study of the Ogoni environment and would continue to support all genuine efforts geared towards the implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP report.
He also indicated that his administration would modernize the Bori General hospital and provide pipe borne water in the area.
The MOSOP president, Legborsi Pyagbara in his anniversary speech, reminded Ogonis that “we are here in celebration of our freedom and the liberty that we won on January 4, 1993 when our forbears led by our late mentor and leader, Ken Saro-Wiwa who took that giant leap and over 3,000 Ogoni people marched for national rebirth, national rediscovery and a journey for dignity and pride.”
Pyagbara continued: “They marched so that we may live. They marched that we may lay claim to a life of honour and dignity. They marched on January 4 to lift us from the valley of oppression as minority and indigenous peoples, to the brighter hills of Ogoni redemption. On January 4, we made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together. A new Ogoni was born.”
He warned his compatriots not to lose sense of the fact that the torch had been passed on to new generation to continue the struggle for Ogoni human rights: “Our right to life, our right to health, our right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, our right of self-determination and our freedom from poverty, to which our forbears has always been committed, and to which we are committed today as a people and as citizens of Ogoni nation both home and abroad”.
The MOSOP president reminded that human right comes not from the generosity of men but from God, hence, “we know that freedom and rights must be secured by us to make any meaning. The knowledge of the sacrifices of our forbears will keep us forever vigilant against those who would want to do us evil by trampling upon our God-given rights”.
For the Ogoni Project 2015, he said the Ogoni have taken a dispassionate assessment of all aspects of Ogoni life since 1990 when they launched the Ogoni Bill of Rights. “We have designed activities and actions about what needed to be done between now and 2015 marking the 25th anniversary of the Ogoni struggle particularly in addressing issues of political autonomy, environmental degradation, political marginalization, cultural annihilation and economic exclusion.”
Pyagbara emphasized that the project has been launched in order to safeguard the dignity and promote unique identity, the language, the culture, the education, the health and the environment of the Ogoniland.
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