HOW are you and the other eight (8) Ogonis compatriots? I hope your souls
are resting perfectly in peace in the bosom of our Lord. I has taken me
five years to write you, hoping that Angel Gabriel will be kind enough to
let you have this letter. Remember the other night when you came to me in
my dream demanding to know what was going on in MOSOP? I was hesitant to
tell you because I didn't want to get angry about a struggle for which you
died. After insisting and not getting the expected answers, you left
saying, "That was not how we planned it." I've been trying to put the
puzzle together.
So many things have happened. I think I'll just go on to the best news.
That demon, Abacha, died in the most shameful manner and you need to see
Nigerians rejoicing, even his associates have denied him. Someone said it's
not right that we (Nigerians) rejoice at a human being's death. The truth
is that he was a demon who came to kill and inflict pain on Nigerians. If
the Holy Book (the Bible can refer to Herod and Nebudchanezzar as the most
wicked kings years after their death, why can't we laugh at Abacha?
Please ask me how he died, before Asian prostitutes, Na wa oh. The sad part
is that his associates are still alive, but you we know that Nigerians have
changed, we no longer want our enemies dead. We now say we want our enemies
alive to see what we will become. I'm wondering if you've bumped into him
at all. If you ever do, please remind him that the "message" is still alive
and burning.
Remember that at the Kangaroo Auta panel you said that in the nearest
future the issues of the Niger Delta would be addressed. It has come to
pass. Everybody is now talking about Niger Delta and so the Federal
Government has now set up the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDCC).
Even though we presently have a windfall in our oil sales the amount given
to the NDCC is quite small but that's really not my problem. I'm worried
about how well the amount given will be utilized instead of enriching those
who are already made.
As for resource control, the agitation is at its highest. Governors from
the Niger Delta have been having meetings and calling for resource control
and self-determination.
After you died the number two man then, Oladipo Diya, you must remember him
or at least the name, addressed members of the diplomatic corps saying that
you were guilty and that you deserved to die. In fact he gave an old Yoruba
adage that there is no yam that cannot be roasted, which he further
explained to men that no one, not even you uncle was above the law. He
tried desperately to make the diplomats understand why he and Abacha had to
kill you. Guess what ñ Abacha almost killed him too. Firstly they blew up
the jet he was to travel in on his way to a funeral. He came late, so he
missed the shelling (not shell). Since Abacha could not kill Diya
"mysteriously," as was typical of the late tyrant, he then framed him up
along with some civilians and military officers in what he called a botched
coup. As we now hear on the nigh he was to be killed, God destroyed Abacha.
The gist here is that Diya in his press interviews after his release, said
he heard of your hanging on foreign television. I'm sure he thinks that we
all have very bad memories. I forgot to tell you that Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo is now our President. He was elected last year. He set up a Human
Rights Investigation Panel headed by the respected Justice Oputa. We are
hoping that everybody whose rights were infringed upon will appear before
it, especially the Ogonis.
Now for the question which you asked: What is going on in MOSOP?
I think I should let you know that I'm getting very discouraged about the
whole thing. The Ogonis are losing out. We are no longer an issue. Thank
God for our brothers from other parts of the Niger Delta who have picked up
the mantle and have continuously given you the honor. MOSOP is now
business enterprise. Those poor children, men and woman which you left
behind are still living in abject poverty, even though many organizations
all over the world claim that they've sent so much aid (including money for
the development of Ogoni). Well, if it's true that they have spent so much
on us, we are yet to feel the impact. We hear some of them use "our cause"
to evade taxes in their home countries.
The millions or billions we hear about have not financed a bore hole in
Ogoni. No school or hospital has benefited from MOSOP. In fact the disunity
in MOSOP has got so embarrassing that people are beginning to personalize
the struggle. Until recently there was a Gokana and Khana MOSOP. But for
God's intervention, Ogoni was almost divided for selfish reasons.
To show you how bad the movement has become, I defended the Ogoni 21(those
who were framed by Abacha along with you, though one died in prison
custody). No one, not even MOSOP gave me the brief. I was not paid a kobo.
I took it up voluntarily, at my expense. I won the matter and they were
released and I felt really accomplished.
I arranged transportation to pick them up that day from the Port Harcourt
Prison at about 8.p.m. I wanted to get them out before the government would
clamp down on them. When they sent for them from their cells they thought
they were being called to be hanged. They mere matched upstairs and led
into the office one after the other. They all looked emaciated and
obviously frightened. When I told them that I was their sister, and I came
to release them, they bust into tears and they started singing the Ogoni
Freedom song. I assured them of their safety. They quickly packed their
bags and we left into a waiting bus. MOSOP wrote me a formal letter of
appreciation. Do you know that apparently some organizations on hearing of
their release now sent money for their legal fee and their rehabilitation?
Things have changed since you left us. So much had happened. So much has
not happened. How I really I wish you were around. You would have done
things differently, especially now that the Niger Delta question remains a
focal issue in Nigeria. Uncle Ken, even though your feet were small your
shoes remain too big to be filled.
Mrs. Wosika is a Port Harcourt based attorney