My attention has been drawn to a public statement issued by Senator Bennet Birabi on the marginalization of the Ogoni people in the politics of Rivers State.
Due to the reverence position that Senator Birabi holds in Ogoniland, not just as the son of late Paul Birabi, but also as the oldest living Senator from Ogoni land, it has been painfully difficult for me to publicly disagree with the Senator.
It is even more difficult when the main subject of the Senator’s statement is the political marginalization of the Ogoni people, a subject on which all Ogoni people are united and in agreement.
However, carefully reading through the Senator’s statement, you find some poisonous barbs that are impossible to ignore.
For example, Senator Birabi in speaking of Governor Wike, said, “nonetheless, there is an undeniable streak of kindness in him also, which is the side of him I am appealing to. Will it not be spiritually rewarding to reciprocate the good gesture of “that” Ogoni-man for the Ogoni people? There must be someone amongst HIS MINIONS from Ogoni that he can trust to continue the works he has started”.
“Also, Governor Amaechi during his own tenure, mortgaged the whole of Ogoni to one or two of HIS OWN OGONI MINIONS who were ready to lay down their lives for him. Will it not be also spiritually rewarding for him to reciprocate such loyalties for the Ogoni people?” ( capitals mine).
This derogatory reference to other Ogonis by one of our own is too painful to ignore. In describing we Ogonis who served in the Rivers State government or support the Governors as “minions”, is the Senator genuinely promoting any of them for higher office? I think not.
Secondly, the distinguished Senator went forward to say that he sometimes feels that Governor Wike hates the Ogoni people. For a father who is trying to collect something from somebody for his children, are you really helping your children if you go to the man from whom you seek help to accuse him of hatred for your family even before the decision is taken, especially in the light of Senator Birabi’s own statement that the government decides everything for the Ogoni people?
The Senator’s statement may have been made out of personal pain and anger but greater tact would have given us more mileage, after all Governor Wike is a two term Governor who at best may be looking for national office, but he is still the sitting Governor of Rivers State, and the Ogoni people have gone way beyond the call of duty to court Wike’s friendship and goodwill including conferring a chieftaincy title on him as the “Mene Kwalenu 1 of Ogoni land”, an occasion which we all supported and at which Senator Birabi himself was the chairman and extolled the Governor to high heavens on behalf of the Ogonj people.
Pray, what has happened between then and now for us to suddenly turn around to promote the idea of enmity between the Governor and the Ogonis?
Senator Birabi himself served briefly as a Minister in Shehu Shagari’s government, did that make him a minion of President Shagari?
I have been advised to keep quiet since “We are looking for something”, but we cannot look for anything at the cost of our reputation.
The term minion is uncomplimentary and clearly contemptuous of ogonis in politics associated with the past or present administration, we are not minions.
I want to use this opportunity to publicly appeal to the Senator to treat his fellow Ogonis with respect, it is only then that he can reasonably expect others to follow his own example.
Ogoni has been marginalized and traumatized, let us do more to help ourselves heal our own wounds.
I have appealed before that whatever we do let us avoid going to the public space to tear ourselves down. When we do that, we give credibility to those who see disunity in Ogoni as our biggest challenge.
What ogoni needs now more than ever before is goodwill from Rivers people across the spectrum , our words and actions should promote friendship and love across board, within and outside Ogoni if we really want the integration of the ogoni people.
Thank you and God bless us all.
