The Leader of the Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr. Fabeke Douglas, has declared that 2027 will mark the end of what he described as political slavery and marginalisation of the Ogoni people, expressing confidence that the ethnic nationality will reclaim its lost political mandate.
Douglas said the Ogoni people had for years been subjected to political manipulation, exclusion and the exploitation of their collective interests for personal gains.
He made the declaration while speaking with our correspondent in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to him, the coming political dispensation presents an opportunity for the Ogoni people to reclaim their voice, dignity and rightful place in the political affairs of Rivers State and Nigeria.
“For too long, the Ogoni Nation has been subjected to political manipulation, exclusion and the trading of our collective destiny for personal gain. That era is coming to an end.
“In 2027, the Ogoni people will rise to reclaim their voice, their dignity and their rightful place in the political affairs of Rivers State and Nigeria.
“It will be a year of awakening, accountability and liberation, where decisions about Ogoni land, resources and future will be made by Ogoni people, for Ogoni people through transparent, democratic and people-centred processes,” he said.
Douglas stressed that the sacrifices of Ogoni leaders and activists who died during the struggle for the rights of the people must not be allowed to go in vain.
He particularly recalled the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders, popularly known as the Ogoni Nine, describing their deaths as a grave injustice that must never be forgotten.
The Ogoni leader, who is also the author of a book titled The Hanged Man’s Message, said the publication documented his research into the circumstances surrounding the execution of Saro-Wiwa and the other eight activists.
He added that the book also contained accounts of the killing of four prominent leaders in Gokana, including testimonies from eyewitnesses.
Douglas lamented what he described as the failure of the present generation to adequately study the history of the Ogoni struggle, warning that the inability to learn from the past had contributed to the repetition of mistakes.
He called on the Ogoni people to remain united in the pursuit of truth, justice, freedom and sustainable development.
“The injustice done to these men cannot and must not be swept under the carpet. We must stand firm and united to negotiate the full freedom, justice and development of the Ogoni people,” he said.
In a personal account of his involvement in the Ogoni struggle, Douglas recalled how he was arrested by Nigerian soldiers after returning to Bori from Kaduna, where he had gone through the process of joining the Nigerian military through the Nigerian Defence Academy.
He said his Ogoni identity exposed him to suspicion and danger during the peak of the crisis, recalling that he volunteered to provide security during a planned address by Ken Saro-Wiwa to the Ogoni people at the Bori council.
According to him, he was arrested near the General Hospital in Bori and taken to a small detention cell where several people were being held without food for days.
He recounted that a soldier threatened that he would be killed without wasting a bullet, adding that many of the detainees were already too weak to speak.
Douglas said he was eventually released following the intervention of an Ogoni man, Mr. Letam from Beeri, who reportedly informed Ken Saro-Wiwa about his detention, and a senior military officer who knew him.
He said he subsequently conveyed information about the condition of the detainees to Dr. Garrick Leton, adding that the detainees were released the following week, although two reportedly died in the process.
Reflecting on the period, Douglas said the Ogoni struggle was characterised by unity, solidarity and collective sacrifice, stressing that all communities shared in the suffering.
He therefore faulted attempts to exclude some Ogoni communities from discussions on oil exploration and environmental remediation on the grounds that they did not host oil resources.
According to him, the struggle for Ogoni rights and environmental justice was a collective effort and should not be reduced to the interests of particular communities.
Douglas identified state creation, environmental cleanup and the resumption of oil exploration as three major issues confronting Ogoni land, insisting that they must be addressed through agreed procedures and inclusive consultations.
He maintained that the pursuit of peace, justice and development in Ogoni land required unity, accountability and respect for the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives during the struggle.
“We remember the past not to live in bitterness, but to ensure that the sacrifices of our people are never in vain. We will not forget. The blood of our martyrs will not be in vain,” he said.
