By Sobomabo Jackrich
I am Ambassador Sobomabo Jackrich, Executive Director of the Network For Defence of Democracy and Good Governance. Today is the 27th memorial anniversary of the brutal execution of Ken Saro Wiwa and 8 others.
I stand with the families of Ogoni 9, and the Ogoni 4, ( AKA Ogoni 13 ) together with thousands of other Ogoni martyrs who paid the Supreme price, in the days of the struggle to restore our hope.
They paid the Supreme price for the Social, Economic, and Environmental Emancipation of Ogoniland, Niger Delta, Nigeria and Africa. May Thier gentle souls, rest in peace.
The year 2022 is historic for many reasons, as the 4th of December shall make it 30 years since the Ogoni people, under the Leadership of Ken Saro Wiwa, took their destinies into their hands and courageously crossed the Rivers of Fear and gave QUIT NOTICE to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and Joint Venture Partners.
They were seeking to actualize the hope of the Ogoni people for a better life. As our hero, Ken Saro Wiwa said in one of his last interviews, THE STRUGGLE IS ABOUT HOPE.
I quote:
The Struggle itself is about HOPE. If I didn’t think that there was hope in the future, I will not be fighting.
I will not be encouraging anybody to struggle the way we are doing now!
Yes, there must be HOPE! (Ogoni) is a rich land. It is a well blessed land.
If we can get the oppressors out of the way. If we can get those practicing double standards out of the way. If we can get the pollution to stop. I am sure that Ogoni will be a happy land.
Ken Saro Wiwa’s works, hopes and dreams were for our happiness.
One of our greatest political thinkers and scholar of blessed memory, Prof. Claude Ake, had this to say of the Ogoni struggle.
And I quote, “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 OUR HOPE. Battered and bleeding, they struggle on to realize our HOPES and to restore our dignity. If they falter we die.
And I have come today with the same message of HOPE, building upon the foundation of our fathers and heroes. And Yes, there must be hope.
As we reflect upon the great life and legacy of this GREAT MESSENGER OF HOPE! We must always remember his words, that ” You can Kill the Messenger, but you cannot Kill the message. The Message of HOPE is still alive today.
Let’s keep HOPE alive! For i see RIVERS OF HOPE flowing from Bane in Ogoniland through all parts of Rivers State, Niger Delta, Nigeria and Africa.
Let’s work together to make this HOPE a reality.
Thank you!
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