This column originally appeared in Vanguard
I’ve just been told that Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented the Rivers South East
senatorial district, has died aged 64, following a protracted illness.
Barry, as many of us called him, was a fellow Ogoni from the Tai Local Government Area
segment of our ancestral terrain.
He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 and rose through the ranks until
he entered the senior chamber of the National Assembly in 2019.
He was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Works in 2023 and played a key role
around supporting President Tinubu’s decision to resume oil exploration and production in
Ogoniland, which had come to a standstill during the crisis that culminated in the 1995
execution of environmental activist, Ken Saro Wiwa.
Barry was also one of those whose lobbying led to the recent establishment of a federal
university of environment that will generate numerous jobs and educate numerous students in our zone.
Like most politicians, Barry had enemies and attracted a lot of criticisms and alarming
allegations, especially during election periods. But he also had a good side that I personally
witnessed.
He once kindly bought me an airline ticket at a time when I was too broke to travel, so I
could fly from Abuja to Port Harcourt and attend a thanksgiving service in his village. We
had breakfast together in the nice hotel he had booked me into, then we drove to his village.
He was great company on that trip – ebullient and intelligent; and I was impressed by the
structures he had erected in his community.
Ndume Green, an Ogoni filmmaker also has fond memories of him:
“Senator Barry recently visited my Film Village Hub project site and offered a multi-million
naira training partnership for Ogoni youths. This scheme was scheduled to start in March and
I for one will miss his generous spirit and genuine interest in the advancement of Ogonis.”
One of Barry’s greatest achievements was finding a good woman to marry. His wife, Mrs Pat
Mpigi, was so very nice to me and others. I don’t know anyone who has a bad word to say
against her and I’m sure that many people will join me in praying that Pat is able to cope with
the difficult challenge of continuing without her beloved husband.
May he rest in perfect peace.
LEGEND!
This week, another sad loss occurred when the iconic African American Reverend, Jesse
Jackson, went to meet his Maker after decades of loudly and bravely fighting for racial and
socio-economic justice.
Raised in poverty in the Deep South when blacks were not allowed to share public facilities
with whites, he became a Baptist minister, civil rights activist and one of the most amazing
orators of all time.
He was close to the heroic Martin Luther King, campaigned tirelessly via his Rainbow Push
Coalition and inspired millions of black folks across the globe with his smart, stirring
speeches and unforgettable mantras: “KEEP HOPE ALIVE!” and “I MAY BE POOR BUT I
AM SOMEBODY!”
Jackson was so down-to-earth and so endearingly accessible that MANY of my friends and
media colleagues – and a couple of my relatives – have treasured photographs of themselves
beaming at cameras beside him.
He ran for the US presidency twice, but was born too early to escape the toxic conservatism
that refused to bestow that glittering prize from Americans who were not of European
descent.
READ ALSO: SWEET AND SOUR: Rivers Crisis Update
But he paved the way for Barack Obama and was seen shedding tears of joy at Obama’s
inauguration. Obama’s tribute was touching and grateful:
“Michelle and I are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a true giant, the Reverend
Jesse Jackson.”
“For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant
movements for change in human history,” he continued. “From organizing boycotts and
sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the
world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and
respect.”
“Reverend Jackson also created opportunity for generations of African Americans and
inspired countless more, including us,” he said. “Michelle got her first glimpse of political
organizing at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager. And his two historic runs
for president, he laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land.”
Obama concluded, “We will always be grateful for Jesse’s lifetime of service, and the
friendship our families share. We stood on his shoulders. We send our deepest condolences to
the Jackson family and everyone in Chicago and beyond who knew and loved him.”
May this giant of the black race who will be honoured in history books forever rest in perfect
peace.
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