Clean Environmental Foundation (CEF), a non-governmental organisation, has made a formal request to President Bola Tinubu to honor the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a renowned human rights activist, by establishing a national monument in his memory.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ken Saro-Wiwa was the leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and became a prominent figure in the fight against environmental degradation resulting from oil industry activities in the Niger Delta region.
In 1995, he was executed by the military regime of Sani Abacha, following his leadership in protests against the environmental damage affecting his community.
Saro-Wiwa’s arrest and execution were surrounded by controversy, particularly after the violent incident that led to the deaths of four prominent Ogoni leaders, for which he was wrongfully accused.
In a statement released on Wednesday by CEF’s executive director, Isaac Omomedia, the organization urged President Tinubu to consider granting a posthumous presidential pardon to Ken Saro-Wiwa, recognizing his contributions to environmental and human rights advocacy.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend state pardon to Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others judicially murdered by the Nigerian state under Gen Sani Abacha,” the statement reads.
“The President should declare Saro Wiwa a National hero after the state pardon granted him and eight others.”
CEF also urged the president to pay compensation to Saro-Wiwa’s family, noting that the activist’s death caused the people of Niger Delta pain and misery.
The group also demanded that Saro-Wiwa be declared national hero, adding that the Niger-Delta region would support the president if he obliges their requests.
“The return of oil exploration in Ogoni is not as important as building broken trust between the Ogoni and the Nigerian authorities. The Government should not give the impression that it is more interested in profit than in Justice,” the statement added.
“President Tinubu should do the right thing. He will instantly enjoy the support of Ogoni people and the entire Niger Delta if he can be courageous enough to reclaim the lost trust between Ogoni and the Nigerian state.”
