By Divine Collins
The National Association of Ogoni Media Workers NAOMEW World Wide has joined other well meaning Ogonis, stakeholders, well wishers and friends of Ogoni to mark the 30th anniversary of ‘Ogoni Martyrs Day’ in remembrance of the judicial murder of foremost environmental rights activist and writer, Ken Saro Wiwa alongside eight Ogoni compatriots, known as Ogoni Nine by the Abacha junta.
In a statement signed by the Secretary of the Association Comrade Taneh Beemene and the President Comrade Martins Giadom, the body commended the courage and resolute spirit of the departed Ogoni leaders in the face of intimidation and death, and urged all Ogonis to use the pensive event to reflect over the Ogoni struggle and keep faith with it in line with the vision of Ken Saro Wiwa and other martyrs.
The body declared that the Ogoni martyrs through their forthrightness and formidable spirit exposed and dymistified the international Royal Dutch oil giant Shell and their collaborators in their relentless abuse and devastation of Ogoni and entire Niger Delta environment, and created awareness of environmental justice in Nigeria, a decisive action that earned Ogoni global recognition.
NAOMEW acknowledged the frontal role of Ken Saro Wiwa and other Ogoni martyrs in promoting democratic norms in Nigeria by tackling the most tyrannical military junta in Nigeria’s chequered political history.
The body identified that Ogoni is in dire need of development and reiterated its commitment towards rendering its professional roles in promoting peace, mobilisation and propagating the ideals of the Ogoni struggle. The statement also urged all strata of leadership and organizations in Ogoni, irrespective of religious or political affiliations to rekindle the patriotic spirit that carried the struggle through its most trying moment and expressed optimism over the achievement of objectives of the Ogoni struggle as enshrined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights.
