Ogoni Struggle: The Impact 21 Years On
An event took place at Maynooth University last month to mark the 21st anniversary of the Ogoni Nine executions in Nigeria.
Sr. Majella Mc Carron speaking at an event in Maynooth University to mark the 21st anniversary of the Ogoni Nine executions.
A number of speakers at the recent 'Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa' event in Maynooth University have given accounts of how the struggles of the Ogoni Nine continue to strike a cord twenty years on.
The Ogoni Nine had campaigned against oil production in an area of the Niger delta. The group claimed this practice had caused extreme environmental damage arising from years of exploitation. All nine members of the group were controversially executed in November 1995. Sr. Majella McCarron, OLA, was lecturing in Nigeria during the time of the Ogoni struggle and corresponded with Ken Saro-Wiwa, a leading member of the Ogoni Nine group. Four years ago, Sr. Majella donated a collection of items including letters and poems Maynooth Univeristy Library Archives. The letters and poems were some of the final communications penned by Mr. Wiwa before his death. More recently the university made an audio archive which includes Sr. Majella's experiences of the Ogoni struggle.
The event in Maynooth took place just a number of weeks after the sudden passing of Ken Saro Wiwa’s son, Ken junior. Sr. Majella recited a number of pieces from books by both Ken Saro Wiwa and his son, Ken junior.
Some of the Ken Saro-Wiwa collection on display at Maynooth University Library.
Ms. Helen Fallon, Deputy Librarian at Maynooth University, gave an account of a recent visit to the United States where Quinnipiac University had chosen to exhibit the Ken Saro-Wiwa collection.
Other speakers included Fr. Samuel Udogbu – a Spiritan priest from Nigeria – and Mr. Graham Kay, both doctoral students at Maynooth University Mr. Kay is completing his doctoral studies at the third level institute under the Ken Saro-Wiwa Postgraduate Scholarship programme. His studies relate to the Ogoni story and the scholarship is funded by the proceeds of a book which consists of the material that Mr. Wiwa sent to Sr. Majella. It was edited by three Maynooth University lecturers.
Those attending the event included Ms. Philomena Obasi, a past pupil of St. Goretti’s OLA Secondary School, Benin City. She stood up at the conclusion of the event to give an impromptu thank you to the OLA Sisters for teaching her in Nigeria. Ms. Obasi now lives in Ireland.
Listen here to the Ken Saro-Wiwa Archive.
Pictured at the event were (from left): Doctoral students Mr. Graham Kay and Fr. Samuel Udogobo along with Ms. Helen Fallon, Deputy Librarian at Maynooth Univeristy and Ms. Philomena Obasi, former pupil of the OLA second level school in Benin City.
