On the 10th November 1995, environment rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others were executed by the government of then military head of state Sani Abacha, accused of treason.
Twenty-six years after the down the line the Ogoni people whom the executed group fought for say no positive steps have been made by the federal government to address the social injustice, poverty, limited development, and degradation of their environment they have been facing over the years.
These were the view of some Ogoni people in the Bane community in Khana local government area of Rivers State and the hometown of Ken Saro-Wiwa.
ait. live visited Bane, in Khana local government of Rivers state which happens to be the hometown of late Saro-Wiwa.
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The people say though the federal government, had since the return to democracy, looked at possible ways to address the plight of OGONI people, including the setting up of hydrocarbon pollution and remediation project, no tangible impact on Ogoni land has been made.
They say issues of lack of potable water, pollution, and unemployment have continued to threaten their existence. and want the federal government to look inwards as the Ogoni Bill of Rights, a document drafted by the late Saro-Wiwa and his Movement for the Survival of Ogoni people has already provided the template upon which their plights could be addressed.
The controversy generated by the events leading to the execution of Saro-Wiwa and the other activists led to a stoppage till the date of the oil-producing activity in Ogoni land and the people say things will change only when the federal government starts to seriously address their plight as contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
