
Essay from Nneka ~~ on KEN SARO-WIWA & the NIGER DELTA: Before and since the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa in November 1995 (In 1990, Saro-Wiwa started to dedicate himself to the amelioration of the problems of the oil producing regions of the Niger Delta. Focusing on his homeland, Ogoni, he launched a non-violent movement for social and ecological justice. In this role he attacked the oil companies and the Nigerian government accusing them of waging an ecological war against the Ogoni and precipitating the genocide of the Ogoni people. He was so effective, that by 1993 the oil companies had to pull out of Ogoni. This cost him his life.) the Niger delta has been experiencing political, economic and environmental disenfranchisement. Abject poverty, gas flaring, oil spillage, pollution of farmland and water are what the people get in return. Oil bunkering and general instability in the region compound energy problems abroad, reducing also the supply and driving up the cost of oil in global markets. Neither the government nor the oil companies have adequately addressed environmental problems such as gas flaring and oil spills. The Nigerian government has not provided adequate security to communities in the Niger Delta. With few exceptions, the government has allowed gangs and militias, some of which are funded by local politicians and party officials, to run rampant. Violence between rival gangs—particularly in the aftermath of the 2003 and 2007 elections—has resulted in the deaths <b>...</b>
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