Opinion
Late Saro-Wiwa And His Predictions
Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged 15 years ago, on November 10, 1995. He was among the nine environmental rights activists and members of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) executed by the Sani Abacha regime on charges of the murder of four Ogoni chiefs.
The inhabitants of the Niger Delta have been at the receiving end of decades of environmental pollution and ecological degradation caused by the multi-national crude oil extraction companies.
Ken Saro-Wiwa’s case was not different from the iniquities which bad governance had inflicted on Nigeria since 1962, when the central government started the usurpation of the autonomy of the federating regions.
Saro-Wiwa’s case has been singled out, because he was a young man who realised very early that there was neither an impact assessment nor any durable national policy protecting the interest of the Niger Delta especially the oil producing communities against the hazards of crude oil extraction.
General Yakubu Gowon who came to power as Head of state after General lronsi said in his maiden speech that the basis for Nigeria’s co-existence no longer existed. This statement amounted to a call for the break up of the country. The statement was unpalatable to the ethnic minority groups of the Northern and the Southern Nigeria. In their opinion, it would have amounted to an act of betrayal if the northern and eastern regions which in a coalition government had conspired in 1963, to create the Midwest region out of the old western region were to be allowed to form separate nations, carrying along with them the ethnic minority groups without their free, prior and informed consent.
Most of the consultative meetings held to stop the idea of Nigeria’s disintegration were held in Benin City, the Midwest capital between 1966 and 1967. They were attended by the likes of J.S.Tarka, Jolly Tanko Yusuf, Achimugu, I. Imam, Raji Abd ah and others from the North; Dr. Okoi Arikpo, S. U. Bassey, Ken aro- Wiwa, Dappa Biriye, Wenike Briggs and others from the East while from the Midwest were such top names like Chief Anthony Enahoro, Oba Akenzua, General David Ejoor, Timothy Omo Bare, S. L. Salubi and many others.
To allow the break up of Nigeria after the Midwest region has been created from the west was to Saro-Wiwa like sentencing the ethnic minority groups of the North and the East to eternal servitude.
As the crisis became protracted and General Odimegwu Ojukwu declared the sovereign state of Biafra, Ken Saro-Wiwa opted for the Nigerian side and was made the Administrator for Bonny division during the 30 months Biafra-Nigeria War. He served briefly after the war as a commissioner in River State under the administration of Diete-Spiff. He left the post in 1973 for private business of publishing and civil society activism.
In his view, “if a drunken and drug sedated driver is allowed at the steering wheel, it wasn’t just enough to start consoling and comforting the children and relations of passengers killed but the first thing is to withdraw the drunken man’s driving license and stop him from killing more people”
Saro-Wiwa saw Nigeria as a malformed state that needed total reforms. In Nigeria, the socio-economic malady was not just a problem of corrupt individuals in government, but the problem of a corrupt system.
After Ken’s death, the UN draft Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples has been adopted by the UN General Assembly, spelling out how to fight self-determination struggles without violence.
Article 3 of the Declaration says, “Ingenious people have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development”
Many countries have started to adjust to the principles as spelt out by the UN Declaration by restoring self rule to the federating ethnic units.
I was privileged to know Kenule Benson Saro-Wiwa intimately. He was the foundation president of the Ethnic Minority and Indigenous Rights Organization of Africa (EMIROAF). I was with him during his last days in Lagos before he left for Port-Harcourt where he was arrested, tortured, tried and hanged. He no doubt had a premonition of his arrest and eventual death. Few days before his fateful departure from Lagos on May 19, 1994. He withdrew his personal “Will” from his bankers’ custody and updated it. It was a solemn occasion. I understood the ‘Will’ could not be implemented because the document was not returned to the bank before his arrest, trial and murder.
I visited him six times at the Bori Military Camp where he was detained in Port Harcourt between May 21, 1994 and November 10, 1995. He was always in high spirit. He would say, “I know even if I die for this cause the Niger Delta will no longer remain the same.
He predicted accurately that Nigeria will be a laughing stock before the rest of the world by the time he had finished with the country. A system that relishes in killing its talents while other countries are making use of the brains and services of their men and women has no future. On his death, the Commonwealth of Nations suspended Nigeria for its gross human rights abuses Since then all sorts of absurd things have started to manifest.
Ken was worried about the militarian society foisted on Africa by the colonialists. Athough by his elitist, western education background, he belonged to the privileged class, he was sensitive to the conditions of the poor in our society. He wanted a coalition of all the nationalities in Nigeria, big and small that would depend less on the use of coercion as the instrument of governance.
Saro-Wiwa argued that a system whose policies are specifically biased against the minority and the less privileged needed a fundamental restructuring. He therefore examined the concept of power in relationship to internal self-determination and drew the attention of the Nigerian rulers to the military distortion of the basic principles of federalism and ethnic sovereignty on which the struggle for independence was based.
At the outset of the Ogoni struggle for self determination, Ken was armed with the United Nations Charter, Conventions, Commissions, Declarations and Protocols guiding non violence movements. He fought the Ogoni struggle on the basis of information, rule of law, knowledge and spirituality while the Abacha regime that murdered him operated from the cruel platform of nihilism, ignorance, brutality, primitive arrogance and sadism
An outstanding representative voice of the down trodden masses in Africa, Ken knew the danger of confronting a primitive and corrupt system but he refused to be intimidated. He was one man who warned the Nigerian people about the imminent danger of a protracted militant struggle in the Niger Delta, indeed the entire country. As a messenger of peace, he came with a package of ideas on how to solve the problems without violence, but he was treated with disdain, mocked, tortured and killed. As we remember the anguish and torment Ken went through, our consolation lies in the fact that he fought for the upliftment of humanity and paid the supreme sacrifice for a just and worthy cause.
Ilenre is the Secretary-General, Ethnic Minority and Indigenous Rights Organization of Africa.
Alfred Ilenre
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.
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