As I sat on my reading table to put down this piece, i visualized how the Nigerian state has treated the Ogoni with so much dis­dain and how Shell, the oil giant that thrives on lies, dis­honesty and irresponsibility continues to make efforts to re­turn to Ogoniland drilling sites and resume oil operations not minding the atrocities com­mitted against the people and their vocal commitment not to have the evil company return to Ogoni for drilling opera­tions.

I quite remember vividly, the dark shadows cast on Port Harcourt on November 10, 1995 when at about 12noon, the BBC reported that Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis have been killed by the Aba­cha led federal government. It was great shock for me as i felt helpless, unable to confront the government and realizing that Saro-Wiwa was no more.

Tears flowed uncontrollably not just for Saro-Wiwa but for the other eight including Dr Kiobel, John Kpuinen and the other 6 whom i knew commit­ted no crime other than sup­porting Saro-Wiwa's campaign to save the Ogoni from a stran­gulating political, economic and environmental clutch of two powerful institutions - the Nigerian Government and the Shell Petroleum Development Company, an affiliate of Shell.

The stain from Saro-Wiwa's blood still continues to haunt Nigeria where no real efforts are made to correct the past mistakes of social injustice. The Ogoni, whose contribu­tions as a unique people within the Nigerian state is persistent­ly downplayed, and her iden­tity is not recognized by the government, makes more con­tributions to the economy than some 20 states put together.

Within Ogoni are two oil refineries, two sea ports, two electricity generating plants, a fertilizer and a petro-chemical complex, an oil and gas free zone accommodating over 500 companies. Yet the Ogoni do not have a state of their own within the so-called Nigerian federation. The revenues gen­erated from the Ogoni ter­ritories are shared by the fed­eral government to support the multiple states created for the dominant three ethnic group­ings including the Ibos, Huasa-Fulanis and Yorubas.

Unfortunately, the Ogonis have chosen not to adopt the tactics that forces the Nige­rian government to submis­sion - violence. The fear of a possible extermination should a violent approach be followed have possibly kept the Ogoni on the path of a non-violent approach.

During the period preced­ing Saro-Wiwa's hanging and the immediate period after, one Major Paul Okuntimo had been deployed to Ogoni as head of a special military task force which unleashed terror on the people. The only safe place became the bush. The Ogoni knows that a violent ap­proach will be appreciated by the government who will sim­ply kill the entire population under the guise of ending an uprising.

Nigeria's choice not to re­ward non-violence by ensuring justice for small and oppressed groups like the Ogoni is cost­ing her enormously in money and prestige. The Nigerian gov­ernment government under President Goodluck Jonathan initiated payment for militants in the Niger Delta region who took arms against the state urg­ing them to allow the continual flow of oil from the region. The government has also on sev­eral occasions made offers to the Boko Haram group to stop violence in the North-East. Government reward for vio­lence in Nigeria and delays in addressing the Ogoni problem is undoubtedly a time-bomb as frustrations rise daily among an already dehumanized and poor population.

Twenty years after Saro-Wi­wa, the Ogonis are constantly reminded by November 10 of a system that has been very brut­ish and unjust, ....
http://authorityngr.com/2015/11/Remembering-Saro-Wiwa--The-tears-never-cease/