Fellow Ogoni people, friends of justice, and defenders of Indigenous dignity,
Today, we gather not in mourning, but in reverence. We gather to honor a man whose life was not just lived—it was devoted. A man whose footsteps carved deep into the soil of Ogoniland, leaving behind a legacy of courage, integrity, and unwavering service. That man is Hon. Mene Ledee Wiko.
From the moment Ogoni declared self-government on August 2, 2012, Hon. Wiko stood at the frontlines—not for applause, not for power, but for principle. As a pioneer lawmaker, he helped shape the very foundation of our Indigenous governance. He did not merely serve the Distinct Ogoni Nation—he embodied it.
As leader of the Ogoni National Legislative Assembly (ONLA), Hon. Wiko presided over the OCIA Joint Conference, our apex decision-making body. He carried the weight of both legislative and judicial authority, resolving disputes that had eluded reconciliation from village councils to provincial levels. His wisdom was not procedural—it was ancestral.
He succeeded his sister, Christiana Wiko, the first central administrator of OCIA, and stood beside her as she oversaw the historic referenda on Ogoni political autonomy. Together, they were a family of freedom, a lineage of leadership.
Before OCIA, Hon. Wiko was already a pillar of Ogoni society:
• Chairman of OCIA Kono Village Council
• District Leader and Ken Khana Kingdom Coordinator under MOSOP
• Chairman of the Ogoni Teachers Union
• Candidate for Nigeria’s House of Representatives in a stolen election—victory denied, but never defeated.
His legislative legacy is monumental:
• Ogoni Land Protective Law (OPL)
• Ogoni Civil Society Commission (OCSC)
• Ogoni Public Security Services Administration Law
• Ogoni Census Bureau
• Ogoni National Identity Law
• And countless others that now form the backbone of our Indigenous legal system.
He conducted more than three-quarters of OCIA swearing-in ceremonies, welcoming new leaders with solemnity and grace. Even after retiring as a teacher and school head, he found comfort and purpose in OCIA, offering his service as a lifetime volunteer.
But perhaps his most profound contribution was his compassion—his work to reintegrate Ogoni youth who had been abused and discarded by political systems. He saw in them not brokenness, but potential. He gave them back their dignity.
Hon. Mene Ledee Wiko was not just a lawmaker. He was a peacemaker, a guardian, a visionary. A life member of the Ogoni Peace and Security Council, he advised with clarity, led with humility, and loved with conviction.
Today, we do not say goodbye. We say: Thank you.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
Thank you for showing us what it means to live for something greater than oneself.
May your legacy echo through every village, every council, every heart that beats for Ogoni freedom.
Rest in power, Hon. Mene Ledee Wiko.
Your name is etched into the soul of our nation.
Signed,
Dr. Goodluck Diigbo
President, Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA)
