…As Ogonis criticize Pyagbara over comments
By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
As the recognition of Chief M.K.O. Abiola as a hero of democracy and June 12 as democracy day by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration continues to attract commendations from Nigerians, factional president of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Fegalo Nsuke, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to extend a similar gesture to late environmental rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa by decriminalizing him and the other Ogoni youths killed alongside him by the Sani Abacha regime in 1995.
Speaking with TPCN today in Port Harcourt, Mr Fegalo Nsuke said the decriminalization of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogoni youths will go a long way in redressing the injustice perpetrated against them by the Abacha-led military junta and also restore their image as innocent citizens of Nigeria who were only fighting for their people’s rights to a healthy environment and survival.
He said since the federal government has accepted that the Ogoni martyrs were unjustly killed, justice demands that they be decriminalized and honoured as heroes of democracy to heal the psychological wounds inflicted on their immediate families and the entire Ogoni people by the Abacha military junta that murdered them.
Fegalo said: “The decriminalization of Ken Saro Wiwa is one of our core demands because we know he was innocent and unjustly killed. The federal government has also acknowledged this. So, since the federal government knows that Ken Saro-Wiwa was unjustly killed, he should be decriminalized.”
Fegalo Nsuke, who insists that he is the real president of MOSOP, maintained that Saro-Wiwa played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s return to democratic governance.
He explained that after Saro-Wiwa’s killing in 1995 by the Nigerian government under Sani Abacha, the highly infuriated international community mandated Nigeria to democratize within two years, with the likes of the Common Wealth suspending the country.
“Although Nigeria could not achieve democratization within the two-year deadline, that pressure mounted by the international community because of Saro-Wiwa’s death helped in facilitating the nation’s return to democracy in 1999. So Saro-Wiwa deserves to be honoured as a hero of democracy,” Nsuke said.
Meanwhile, criticism has been trailing the comments made by another factional president of MOSOP, Legborsi Pyagbara in which he heaped praises on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government for honouring Chief MKO Abiola by declaring June 12 as democracy day, without calling on the federal government to accord similar honour to Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was murdered in the course of fighting for the rights of Ogoni people.
A chief from Khana, who described the late Ken Saro-Wiwa as his idol, said he heard Legborsi Pyagbara’s comments on Rhythm 93.7 this morning, adding that he was shocked and ashamed that an acclaimed president of MOSOP could praise Buhari for honouring Abiola without making a case for his own brother and leader in the person of Ken Saro Wiwa.
The chief told TPCN: “I listened to Legborsi’s comments on Rhythm this morning and I was shocked, ashamed and disgusted that he could praise Buhari for honouring Abiola without mentioning Saro Wiwa who even suffered more than Abiola. Saro Wiwa suffered and died for his people’s rights but Abiola suffered and died for his own ambition.If democracy is all about the rights of the people, then Saro Wiwa is a more hero of democracy than Abiola and Legborsi knows this very well.
“What on earth could make him not to use the opportunity of that interview he granted to Rhythm to further press home the demand for recognition and honouring of Saro-wiwa? What was he afraid of? Could it be because of his cooption into the board of HYPREP? Is he sabotaging Ken? I think he should vacate that office of MOSOP for the real Ogoni activists to occupy.”
When TPCN called Mr Legborsi Pyagbara twice, at about 9:25 a.m. to get his reaction to the criticism, he did not pick.
