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Prisoners of Jebs
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
4 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Ken Saro-Wiwa
39 books89 followersKenule "Ken" Beeson Saro Wiwa was a Nigerian writer, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland, Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and which has suffered extreme environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping. Initially as spokesperson, and then as President, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multinational petroleum industry, especially the Royal Dutch Shell company.
He was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in the area.
At the peak of his non-violent campaign, Saro-Wiwa was arrested, hastily tried by a special military tribunal, and hanged in 1995 by the military government of General Sani Abacha, all on charges widely viewed as entirely politically motivated and completely unfounded. His execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations for over three years.
Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland, Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and which has suffered extreme environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping. Initially as spokesperson, and then as President, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multinational petroleum industry, especially the Royal Dutch Shell company.
He was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in the area.
At the peak of his non-violent campaign, Saro-Wiwa was arrested, hastily tried by a special military tribunal, and hanged in 1995 by the military government of General Sani Abacha, all on charges widely viewed as entirely politically motivated and completely unfounded. His execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations for over three years.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 27, 2010
If you want a book on the rot in the Nigerian political and business elite, this is the book. Though a work of fiction, it gives the reader a glimpse into the hearts of the men who have ripped off this potentially rich nation. Ken Saro Wiwa's story is set off the shore on an island prison in the Atlantic that has been built for special criminals from the continent but which is more highly inhabited by the corrupt gurus of the oil rich country. Before I ever met a Nigerian, this book told me all I wanted to know about Nigerian people. As I saw them in Dubai, they are loud, boastful, full of vanity and very greedy in their pursuit of wealth and power.
Read this book if you're to get to grips with the complex factors of power and impunity that has made Nigeria better known for its conmen and financial launderers than for anything else.
Read this book if you're to get to grips with the complex factors of power and impunity that has made Nigeria better known for its conmen and financial launderers than for anything else.
January 5, 2024
A brilliantly written critique to Nigerian society (and people) by activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. The story was fiction but with some real event here and there (albeit the references would’ve worked better as footnotes in my opinion). The criticism often expands also to African governments in general.
I found the story well written and easy to read. The way the story was shaped was entertaining and pushed you to read more and more, maybe thanks to also the comic moments. I will certainly read more from him.
The book is from the mid-80s, but from what my knowledge tells me the situation did not improve much unfortunately. I hope that one day Nigerians will give shape to the splendid country Nigeria could and should be. A country that praises and protects people like Ken Saro-Wiwa instead of hanging them up with a rope.
I want to close this reviews by quoting the author himself.
“And should it continue to scare a few people, that would not be bad at all. After all, fear is an important them of the story.”
I found the story well written and easy to read. The way the story was shaped was entertaining and pushed you to read more and more, maybe thanks to also the comic moments. I will certainly read more from him.
The book is from the mid-80s, but from what my knowledge tells me the situation did not improve much unfortunately. I hope that one day Nigerians will give shape to the splendid country Nigeria could and should be. A country that praises and protects people like Ken Saro-Wiwa instead of hanging them up with a rope.
I want to close this reviews by quoting the author himself.
“And should it continue to scare a few people, that would not be bad at all. After all, fear is an important them of the story.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews