Nigeria consumes its courageous voicesNineteen years after, the death of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa is still raising dust in some quarters. As civil rights activists, scholars and writers across the world commemorate the anniversary of his brutal execution this month, critics say Saro-Wiwa represents Nigeria’s unfinished business. But, is his struggle a waste? Critics highlighted his relevance to the struggle for change and more. Senior Correspondent, Evelyn Osagie reports. There is something about November. As the air begins to change and the days begin to hurry to the close of the year, the Nigerian literati have come to approach the month with mixed feelings. It has become a month of sober reflections as they remember two of their iconic voices –Chinua Achebe and Ken Saro-Wiwa. Incidentally, both writers are dead. One died at the ripe age of 83; the other’s life was cut short. And so, while it is the birthday anniversary of one, it is the month the other, Saro-Wiwa, met death brutally, 19 years ago, on November 10 to be precise, in the hand of the then military junta. That Friday, the literati received the news of his execution with much pain. And, as if it were an icing on a cake, his death, critics say, broke “the icing” that held together “the cake” of peace in the oil rich Niger Delta region, birthing several protests which, they opined, ignited the restiveness that the region later witnessed. Nineteen years on, Wiwa is still being remembered for the struggle, his sacrifice and the change. As the literati commemorate his death anniversary this month with diverse activities, it calls to mind a symposium on Life and Work of Ken Saro Wiwa: Possibilities for Nigeria held at the just-concluded Port Harcourt Book Festival, Rivers State. In short, he was a focus at this year’s edition. Several segments were dedicated to him, including a visit to his office that now houses the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation established by his children. The organisers, led by Mrs Koko Kalango, said it was an attempt to immortalise him. According to them, theynot only believe the late Saro-Wiwa is worthy of emulation, but that the lessons in his example, if emulated, hold a roadmap to Nigeria’s advancement as a nation. Little wonder that the symposium had as keynote speaker and discussants, scholars from his home state – Rivers. Leading the deliberations was the keynote speaker, Prof Daniel Ogum. With him were the Head of Department, English Studies, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof Nkem Okoh; Prof Onyemaechi Udumukwu; Dr Chinyelu Ojukwu; Dr Obari Gomba, who moderated the forum. They called him a “visionary social philosopher”, “an uncompromising environmentalist”, “an activist-qua-activist”, “a fearless leader”, “lover of his Ogoni ethnic nation” and more. Saro-Wiwa’s legacies and achievements as a creative icon, they say, live after him. Ogum, in his paper entitled: Literature and Legacy called the late Saro-Wiwa “the legendary martyr for humanity”. The martyr, according to him, represents “the unfinished business of Nigeria”, adding that like a yam seedling, although buried in the mound of the Niger Delta liberation farm, Saro-Wiwa is regenerating. Lamenting that instead of fighting insurgents, Nigeria is in the habit of killing its brightest minds, he linked the Niger Delta aggression and the Boko Haram insurgency to bad governance, warning that much more would happen if the pressing issues are not addressed. He decried that the region is in a sorry state, urging government and the oil companies to learn from the Saro-Wiwa tragedy. He said: “Nigeria structure should preserve, not destroy courageous positive voices. People who spoke up in protest of appalling conditions in the Niger Delta were at risks of attacks, threats to their lives and death. The present mayhem appears to be a blast of a keg of the gunpowder of past misdeeds and negligence. Boko Haram insurgents have questioned our nationhood Had companies acted responsibly in their host communities over the years, there would have been no Ogoni and Shell Crises, no Egni and Total
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 01:41:09 +0000
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