Honouring Saro-Wiwa and Co is Good but Ogonis Need More — Monarch. By Adamu Usman Attaboh
Honouring Saro-Wiwa and Co is Good but Ogonis Need More
— Monarch
The paramount ruler of Eweh community, Khana LGA, Chief Benedict Tebirawa JP, Amb. P, has commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for the pardon he granted Ken Saro-Wiwa and his fellow compatriots but posited that this is not enough especially as they did not commit any offense.
Speaking to newsmen recently in Eweh, he said:” He has tried but I do not see any offense they committed to deserve pardon. He is doing this to make us happy so they can continue to explore Ogoni oil. I am not happy remembering the incident as Ken was my relation. I used to be with him in his house,” he explained adding that “since the unfortunate incident has happened and we cannot take back the hands of time, they should go ahead to implement the contents of the Ogoni Bill of Rights. They should allow Ogoni people enjoy a fair share of their oil before resuming oil exploration activities. This should be clearly spelt out and include a fair employment quota for the people. They should also ensure Ogoni language is taught in schools just like the Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo languages, etc.”
Mene Tebirawa who has been on the throne for 26 years also asked President Tinubu to restore democratic rule in Rivers State as they are just like orphans currently and so they can enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“We expected this as a part of his Democracy Day speech,” he explained.
He concluded by asking the Ogoni people to remain peaceful and avoid riots as the right thing will be done in due course.
