Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, on Thursday, changed the name of the state polytechnic at Bori to Kenule Beeson Saro-wiwa Polytechnic.
This was in honour of the late environmentalist and poet, Ken Saro-wiwa, who was sentenced to death and later killed during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha in 1995.
According to a statement issued by the special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, the naming of the institution after the late Ogoni-born poet was in recognition of achievements and legacies.
“In honour of his monumental achievements and legacies, the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, has renamed the Rivers State Polytechnic in Bori as Kenule Beeson Saro-wiwa Polytechnic.
“The governor remarked that the memories of avatars like the late Saro-wiwa who fought selflessly for the betterment of society and humanity should not be consigned to oblivion.
“More so, he (Wike) reasoned (that doing so became necessary), when such personalities are revered beyond the shores of the country,” the statement read.
According to the statement, Governor Wike recalled the role of the late Saro-wiwa in the Niger Delta struggle that eventually led to his death.
“That is one monument that can never be obliterated. This literary giant must not be left unsung. He was a known and respected environmental activist whose efforts exposed the marginalisation of the Niger Delta and attracted international attention to the region,” the statement added.
