President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with Ogoni leaders from Rivers State, including the State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike when he assured the leaders that his administration will prioritise peace, justice, and sustainable development in the area.
The President, who received the Ogoni leaders at the State House in Abuja, urged Ogoni people to set aside historical grievances and work together to achieve peace, development and a clean environment.
“We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward. We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry,” he said.
The President directed Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, to coordinate the negotiations as he called for inclusive consultation and mutual understanding.
He commended the delegation for embracing the Federal Government-led dialogue and emphasised the need for collaboration, trust, and inclusiveness to resolve lingering issues in the region.
“We must work together with mutual trust. Go back home, do more consultations, and embrace others. We must make this trip worthwhile by bringing peace, development, and a clean environment back to Ogoniland,” Tinubu said.
He asked ministers, the NNPCL, and the Rivers State Government to cooperate with the Office of the National Security Adviser to achieve this mandate.
“It is a great honour for me to have this meeting, which is an opportunity to dialogue with the people of Ogoniland.
“It has been many years since your children and myself partnered to resist military dictatorship in this country. No one dreamt I would be in this chair as President, but we thank God.
“Many of your sons present here were my friends and co-travellers in the streets of Nigeria, Europe, and America. I know what to do in memory of our beloved ones so that their sacrifices will not be in vain,” the President said.
Governor Fubara of Rivers thanked the President for his support of the Ogoni people and for welcoming an all-inclusive representation of the people to the Presidential Villa.
Fubara said the meeting was a follow-up to an assignment the President gave him through the National Security Adviser.
Emphasising the importance of resuming oil operations in Ogoniland, the governor pledged the delegation’s commitment to adhering to the President’s instructions and providing the necessary support to achieve the government’s objectives.
“What we are doing here today is to concretise the love and respect we have for the President for being behind this meeting.
“We will go back and continue the consultations with a timeline so that the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland will commence,” he said.
The National Security Adviser commended the Ogoni people for their trust in President Tinubu and for embracing dialogue as a path to meaningful progress and enduring solutions.
“Guided by Mr President’s vision that every voice is heard and every interest is considered, my office, the DSS, the government of Rivers State and the Minister of FCT embarked on a diligent and consultative process to assemble this delegation,” Ribadu said.
He noted that the over 50-member delegation that met with the President reflected the rich diversity of Ogoni society, representing various constituencies, interests, and viewpoints.
“The presence of this delegation is a testament to the Ogoni people’s readiness to engage constructively in the pursuit of peace, justice, and sustainable development,” he said.
King Festus Gberesaako XIII, the Gberemene of Gokana Kingdom, expressed the community leaders’ willingness to engage in the process of finding lasting solutions to the lingering challenges in Ogoniland.
‘Halt plans to resume oil production in Ogoniland’ – CSOs tell FG
Meanwhile, a coalition of 21 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the Niger Delta has condemned the Federal Government’s proposed resumption of crude oil extraction in Ogoniland.
The extraction activities had ceased in 1993 due to unrest, and despite several attempts, oil production has remained dormant in the area
Dr Emem Okon, Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, spoke on behalf of the coalition in a statement in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
She criticised the planned private meeting between representatives of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and selected stakeholders from Ogoniland to discuss the resumption of oil extraction.
Okon described the meeting as insensitive to the longstanding sufferings of the Ogoni people, highlighting the nation’s ongoing reliance on fossil fuels as detrimental to the environment and local communities.
“This decision disregards the enduring environmental, social, and economic injustices faced by the Ogoni people.
“It undermines efforts towards sustainable development, environmental justice, community empowerment, and the cleanup of the devastated Ogoni environment,” she stated.
She referenced the 2011 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report, which documented severe pollution caused by oil spills, gas flaring, and inadequate remediation, leaving the land, water, and air heavily contaminated.
She claimed that the livelihoods and health of the Ogoni people had suffered immeasurably with no accountability from the oil industry and inadequate redress from the government.
Okon called for a multi-stakeholder meeting in Ogoniland to address the people’s plight, tackle poverty and hunger caused by environmental degradation, and agree on solutions to improve living conditions in the area.
She urged the Federal Government to honour environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, as a hero of the environment and posthumously recognise his contributions.
The executive director emphasised that any discussion regarding oil production must prioritise justice, environmental restoration, and meaningful participation of the Ogoni people.
According to her, any attempt to resume oil extraction without first engaging in discussions would amount to an affront on their right to a safe environment.
“Consequently, we demand an immediate halt to all plans for oil extraction in Ogoniland until meaningful consultations with the Ogoni people are conducted,’’ Okon said.
The group also demanded full remediation of the damaged environment in the Niger Delta, and full implementation of the UNEP Report.
The demand included immediate and total cleanup of the region, with no less than 1 trillion US dollar earmarked for environmental restoration and compensation for lost livelihoods.
The group further petitioned for increased funding for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), review of the trial of the Ogoni 13, and enforcement of strict regulations on oil companies, among others.
The coalition includes groups such as the Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative, Ogoni Solidarity Forum, Nigeria, South South Youths Initiative, Peoples Advancement Centre and Environmental Rights Actions.
Others are Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Social Action, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Peace Point Development Foundation, and Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, among others.
