Letter to Ogoni Youth
Dear friend,
Today marks the 28th celebration of what we call "Ogoni day". This is simply because on this day in 1993, after decades of injustice suffered by our people in the hands of the Nigerian federation, 300,000 strong Ogonis marched to say no more! This march was led by MOSOP, and the ripple effect of this and subsequent events can be seen today in the agitations of the different ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta region.
28 years after, the intensity that accompanies the marking of this day has dropped to an all-time low. Why? Because over the years, the absence of leadership in the Ogoni nation has resulted in a lack of purpose, and consequently, a lack of direction. Today MOSOP has more factions in Ogoni than it has successes it can point to since 1995. Not just that; today the Ogoni nation has sunk into otherwise unknown depths of hopelessness and despair that is palpable in our different communities.
In the absence of this leadership, we have not lacked politicians. They abound in our different communities, and have flourished without even being burdened with the simple task of providing the necessary leadership to galvanise our people to achieve anything meaningful and significant. I believe that one cannot give what one does not have, and to show that the current political class of our nation lack what it takes to pull us out of the doldrums, I'll like to point out one stinging fact: by the end of the tenure of the Chairmen of the 4 Ogoni LGAs of Khana, Gokana, Tai, and Eleme this year, they would've received at least N12 billion as allocation from the FAAC. That translates to approximately N3 billion per LGA. Now, I must ask you a pertinent question: does your LGA look like where N3 billion passed through? Collectively, does Ogoniland look like where N12 billion passed through? I'll leave you to assess and answer for yourselves.
Finally, we must understand that the issues that brought about this day and its celebration remain unsolved; for the Ogoni people remain down, and quite honestly, almost out. Today, therefore, should be a day of very sober reflection on the future of the Ogoni nation, not just against the backdrop of the sacrifices that men like the Ogoni 9 made to advance our cause and its betrayal by our political class thereof, but most importantly against the backdrop of the shifting sands of the Nigerian federation especially as regards the future of the Ogoni nation within it or without it. The Ogoni nation and its people are in urgent need of new leaders, leaders with the ideological depth to pull the Ogoni nation out of the deeps of despair, hopelessness and all-round underdevelopment, and put it on a path to greatness. Time is running out for them to step on the scene.
May the sacrifices of our heroes past not be in vain, and may the odds be in our favour.
Have a sober Ogoni Day.
Long live the Ogoni nation.
Long live the Ogoni people.
