A rally organised by a faction of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) to mark the 30th anniversary of the execution of the group’s founder, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others witnessed low attendance.
The event, held at the Peace and Freedom Park within the MOSOP secretariat premises, proceeded as planned despite the limited turnout, amid reports of separate commemorations by other Ogoni groups.
Professor Olu-Andah Wai-Ogosu, acclaimed president of the group, expressed concern over the low level of engagement by the Ogoni people in the organisation’s activities, reports Channels TV.
He described the turnout as indicative of growing divisions within MOSOP, recalling how the organisation founded by the late Ken Saro-Wiwa was once a united and formidable force for the Ogoni struggle.
He called for renewed participation and unity to continue the struggle for environmental and social justice, emphasizing that the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives must be preserved.
Professor Wai-Ogosu further lamented that the Ogoni community had lost not only “very intelligent minds” but also leaders who could have driven development in the region.
He recalled that the decades-long struggle for environmental rights claimed many lives, including four chiefs killed at a community gathering and the nine executed by the military regime in 1995.
He added that over 2,000 others died in various military operations prior to that year.
As part of the week-long commemoration, MOSOP organised a public lecture, thanksgiving service, and tributes to the “Ogoni 9.” The group also laid wreaths at memorial sites and visited families of unsung heroes who fell during earlier military crackdowns.
Receiving the MOSOP delegation on Saturday, Ken Saro-Wiwa’s brother, Harry Saro-Wiwa, acknowledged the federal government’s posthumous pardon and national honours for the Ogoni 9, but reiterated that the family prefers their full exoneration.
