THE VOICE OF A DEAD MAN: NIGERIA PLEASE LEARN FROM HISTORY

On the morning of November 10, 1995 Ken Saro Wiwa, the environmental activist from the Niger Delta region in Nigeria was hanged alongside eight other activists in a prison and dumped in an unmarked graves despite wide International protest.

This was a writer, a poet, and a Television producer whose untimely death was followed by his arrest in May 1994, he was taken over flimsy excuses by the then military junta, alongside eight other activists he was taken to a prison in Nigeria. Ironically, he wrote a book of essays “ I am Hanged”

Ken was hanged in order to remove him from politically contention in the Niger Delta and to get rid of the greatest enemy of Shell Oil. He was a powerful critic of these evil leaders, with his death, we thought there will be peace in Niger Delta, he was killed to silent pain in the necks of our leaders who are obsessed with looting this oil money.

Ken Saro Wiwa’s death brought to the scene worst characters in that region. Ken was educated, reasonable and loved but after Ken came some women and men who were uncontrollable. Always ready to bring about the collapse of the Nigeria State.

In Ken’s time, he spoke against the environmental damage to the Niger Delta by Shell through its thirty seven years of exploration. But on the contrary today, the militants from this region are bent on segregating the nation, they want a separate nation.

During Obasanjo’s regime, he declared shoot at sight in Odi, a riverine community of the Niger Delta, the place turned to a grave yard, they were happy that all enemies are gone, the remnants will learn from the death of their fellows and be quiet, lo and behold, it was all lies, these steps were like adding fuel to our fire. Though we would not want to waste his precious and scarce words on militants but the world is watching.

Death has not been able to silent the spirit Ken left behind!, May this year marks the fifteen year of his arrest, the president that arrested him met untimely death too, we learnt it was on the bosom of a prostitute, death is death.

This morning, May 26, 2009, 18 soldiers were killed by these militants, mainstream gender, therefore, there are eighteen widows somewhere in Nigeria now, left to cater for about thirty mouths. Soldiers alive have not been paid their entitlements, is it dead soldiers that will be paid? Those soldiers who protested on the street of Akure in Ondo State of Nigeria for were sentenced to life imprisonment last month, these were men who went to Liberia on a peace keeping mission, and they survived, demanded for their pay in a peaceful demonstration! This is the action of our very gentle president who has no time for words. He counts his words.

The militants in Niger Delta have more sophisticated weapon than the Federal troop, Nigeria has not learn from history, the more we kill the more we breed wicked souls who are fed with past of our leaders.

In the Niger Delta region, there is no single High school but past presidents in Nigeria have been able to build expensive Universities in their own villages, these are Universities ordinary Nigeria will never attend because it is built for only the rich, are there World powers paying Nigeria presidents or where did they get the money to build such edifice?

These universities were built in both North and West of Nigeria, but the bird that lays the golden eggs n the South South wallow in abject poverty, there pregnant women will walk miles to attend ante natal clinics, whereas our presidents travel to USA to treat minor sicknesses.

May God grant our leaders the spirit of learning, though not everyone can learn, some ruler have unteachable spirits, I learn one thing in Nigeria; “wisdom does not come with age”. When the door of the day opens for human, it grants those alive another opportunity to learn.

Nigeria has not learnt from their past mistakes. A man’s height and weight can never open a door, it is only the person who has the key to the door that opens.

Ken is dead but his deeds gave birth to what Nigeria nation can no longer control. Nigeria hanged the day she hanged Ken with a rope, may unity return to our nation.