President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, held a meeting with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and leaders from Ogoniland at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Governor Fubara was accompanied by Senator Lee Maeba, with other notable members of the delegation including Senators Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Chief Victor Giadom, Chief Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, Senators Bennett Birabi Barry, Mpigi, and Joe Poroma.
Also present at the meeting were Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Minister of Environment Balarabe Abba, Minister of Information and National Orientation Idris Mohammed, Minister of Regional Development Abubakar Momoh, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
While the specifics of the meeting’s agenda were not disclosed, it is believed to be related to the ongoing Ogoni clean-up efforts and the potential resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
This comes in the wake of a coalition of civil society organizations calling for a $1 trillion allocation from the federal government for the cleanup of the Niger Delta and compensation for the loss of livelihoods before oil production resumes in Ogoniland.
The coalition, which includes Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, and Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, expressed concerns over the Nigerian government’s reported plans to recommence oil production in the region. They criticized the move, calling it a disregard for environmental justice.
The statement further emphasized the significant environmental damage caused by oil activities in Ogoniland, as documented in the 2011 UNEP report, which highlighted extensive pollution of land, water, and air. The group expressed disappointment that the government has yet to fully implement the UNEP recommendations or prioritize the necessary cleanup of the region.
