Before they can celebrate ‘democracy day’, Nigerians deserve to know the truth about Moshood Abiola’s stolen election twenty years ago which led directly to the country’s worst dictatorship, that of Sani Abacha

Today, June 13, 2013 is 33 years since world-renowned historian, academic and political activist Walter Rodney was killed on Bent Street in Georgetown, Guyana. To this moment there has been no credible enquiry into this dastardly act of cowardice. In the interest of justice, it is high time that every Guyanese and every decent human being the world over renew the repeated call made by his family, the WPA, and activists around the world for an impartial, independent, international enquiry into the circumstances surrounding his murder.

WHO WAS WALTER RODNEY

Because most of the population today was either very young, or were not born as yet when he was killed, I have included a brief timeline taken from his biography.

1. He was born in Georgetown, Guyana, on March 23, 1942.
2. He came from a humble working class family.
3. Won scholarship’s to Queens College, to the UWI, to School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
4. At age 24 completed Ph.D. with honors in African history.
5. His Ph.D dissertation was published in 1970 by Oxford University Press with the title, ‘A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, 1545-1800’.
6. An active partisan of the African liberation struggle (throughout his life)
7. Professor at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1966-1967)
8. Professor at the University of the West Indies (Mona 1968)
9. He was expelled from Jamaica in 1968
10. Professor at the University of Dar es Salaam (1968-1974)
11. Published ‘Groundings with my Brothers’ (1969)
12. Published ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’ (1972)
13. Came home to Guyana (1974) to take up the appointment as Chair of the History Department at the University of Guyana
14. Burnham government (1974) rescinded his appointment at the University of Guyana
15. He emerged as resistance leader in Guyana against dictatorial rule (1974-1980)
16. Together with others formed the resistance movement in Guyana, Working People’s Alliance (1974)
17. Completed the manuscript, ‘History of the Guianese Working People 1881-1905’ (1980). This manuscript published in 1981.

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