The Nigerian Government made a decision on March 5, 2008 that on the surface seems to turn the clock back to the 1990s. What noteworthy event occured on that date? Was the democratically elected government overthrown by the military? The answer is no, but they made a decision that can remind one of that period of Nigerian history. 

The 1990s was not a banner decade for Nigeria. It was an international pariah, a brutal military dictatorship ruled the country with an iron fist. Civil liberties and political parties were repressed and eventually an incident occured that placed the West African country under international scrutiny. What is most interesting is that the incident was at the behest of a major international petroleum company. 

One of the most prominent human rights defenders of that decade was Ken Saro-Wiwa. This man, an outspoken playwright, had concerns with how the vast potential wealth from the Niger Delta was being spent. He was later convicted in what many consider to be a sham trial for treason. He was eventually executed in an what may have been the catalyst for the return of democratic government to Nigeria. 

In an attempt to move forward, it appears that Nigeria is turning back the clock to the 90s… does the international community want to make the same mistake again?

Last Month, the authorites in Abuja were successful in seeking the extradition of Henry Okah from Angola. He returned to Nigeria to face charges of arms trafficking. After his return, concern from those in the Niger Delta started to rise. For roughly a week after the extradition, there were reports that Mr. Okah was shot by the Police. Allegations of torture also were made against the Nigerian Security Forces. 

The group MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) has asked that he be shown to the public. If this does not occur in the near future, the group is promising anarchy. If reports are true that he has been the victim of torture, that may be the reason that he has not been seen in public. It has also been announced by the Attorney General of Nigeria that a 14 count indictment against Henry Okah had been obtained in December of 2007.  

During the trip by President Bush to Africa in the Middle of Feburary, the MEND contacted Bush with a request that he mediate the dispute. In an 11 point proposal that offers a cease fire in exchange for a demilitarization of the Niger Delta and economic reforms the insurgents propose that Mr. Okah be allowed access to a lawyer and adequate prison conditions so that he can take part in talks. 

So if MEND wants to have talks with Abuja, why would they hold a death sentence over his head? It could mean that they have no intentions of negotiationing with the group. This could also mean that they feel the groups are terrorist in nature. And the position that most governments hold at this juncture is not to negotiate with terrorists on any level. But then again, terrorists would not make proposals like the one that was sent to President Bush. 

So in an attempt to move forward, it appears that Nigeria is turning back the clock to the 90s. The international community was highly angry with Nigeria then, do they want to make the same mistake again? 

The Author Publishes Confused Eagle, an Online Magazine found at morganrights.tripod.com