Youths of Ogoni ethnic nationality has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to declare November 10th a public holiday in Nigeria in honour of Ken Saro-Wiwa Wiwa and eight other Ogonis otherwise known as Ogoni 9, who were extra-judiciary executed by the Sani Abacha led Nigerian Military Government on 10th November, 1995.
President-General of Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), Legborsi Yamaabana who made the call in a statement also called on President Buhari to exonerate the names of the Ogoni nine from the allegations of the Justice Ibrahim Auta led tribunal as well as to bestow posthumous national honours on them.
The group kicked against the pardon granted the Ogoni nine and requested that same treatment that was done to M.K.O. Abiola should also e give to the slain Ogoni heroes.
The argued that: “Pardon is granted to criminals and Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni martyrs were not found guilty of any crime as required under our corpus juris and do not deserve a pardon. They were without fair trial extra-judicially killed by a kangaroo military tribunal. Their execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations”.
“After their execution, the United Nations, set up a Fact-finding Committee, the committee which arrived Nigeria on April 1996, passed a verdict that the trial and execution of the Ogoni nine was unjust, unfair, partial in every shred of human consideration and does not meet the requirements of both domestic and international Human laws”.
It noted that the quest for national healing and reconciliation cannot be complete until the Nigerian Government adhere to the above demands.
The youths posited that: “the hanging of Ogoni nine remains a permanent stain on Nigeria’s claim to civilization. The role Shell Petroleum Development Company played in the hanging will continue to question the company’s credibility and public perception no matter how much she invests to launder her battered image as the chief sponsor of terror against the Ogonis. Shell will not escape justice over the crimes committed against the Ogoni people”.
Yamaabana said as the Ogonis remember Ken Saro-Wiwa and eighth others, the group will continue to fight to actualize the collective dream for a free and better Ogoni.
