‘Tinubu Was Part Of Ogoni Struggle’, Magnus Abe Hails President For Honouring Ogoni 4

Former national lawmaker, Senator Magnus Abe, has praised President Bola Tinubu for bestowing a posthumous honour connected 4 precocious Ogoni leaders, saying the President’s long-standing engagement successful pro-democracy struggles makes the designation profoundly symbolic for the Ogoni people.

Speaking connected Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ connected Wednesday night, Abe said Tinubu’s past with the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) successful the 1990s placed him broadside by broadside with the Ogoni cause, arsenic some movements were rooted successful absorption against subject oppression and the combat for justice.

“We are fortunate to person a president who knows astir the conflict and was portion of it himself due to the fact that the Ogoni conflict and the NADECO conflict were astir the aforesaid issue, and astir the aforesaid time, and the subject was involved,” Abe said.

The recognition, helium noted, marks a milestone successful healing divisions among the Ogoni people.

“What happened contiguous was a defining infinitesimal to get these families moving unneurotic for the involvement of Ogoni. The President had recognised the Ogoni Nine which is connected the different broadside of the divide, the effort had been to get an Ogoni 13, and these families person met and reconciled to enactment unneurotic for the advancement of Ogoni. So what happened to admit precocious Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, Chief Theophilus Orage and Albert Badey, the erstwhile Secretary to the Government of Rivers State—we are grateful to President Tinubu for bringing these families unneurotic successful bid to enactment the demons of the past down us.”

The “Ogoni Nine,” which included writer and activistic Ken Saro-Wiwa, were executed by Nigeria’s subject authorities successful 1995 aft a arguable trial, sparking planetary outrage.

Their deaths near a heavy coiled wrong the Ogoni community, splitting families and allies betwixt those aligned with Saro-Wiwa and those accused of opposing him. Abe said Tinubu’s determination to honour some sides of the disagreement has opened the mode for reconciliation.

“Some of america cognize each these radical externally, they are our friends, household members, brothers and sisters connected some sides. We don’t request to spell backmost to the issues, the bitterness and frustrations that led to the part of the Ogoni of that time. Our absorption present is however to rebuild the onshore and usage our God-given resources for the payment of our people,” helium added.

Abe drew parallels betwixt Nigeria’s unresolved divisions and humanities struggles elsewhere.

“There’s nary portion of this satellite that doesn’t person a acheronian past. If you look astatine the U.S, they’re inactive battling with the disagreement of slavery that happened successful the past,” helium said.

Abe stressed that President Tinubu’s inheritance arsenic a NADECO person successful exile, who opposed subject dictatorship successful the 1990s, made him uniquely positioned to admit the Ogoni struggle.

“Both the Ogoni conflict and NADECO’s conflict were astir quality rights, justice, and absorption against subject excesses.

“The President understands this past due to the fact that helium was portion of it,” Abe stated.