President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting behind closed doors with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Ogoniland leaders from four local government areas.
Although Fubara and the Ogoni delegation arrived earlier in the State House’s Council Chamber, our correspondent spotted FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s official vehicle arrive at the Villa at 2:45 p.m.
Fubara’s delegation comprises Senators Lee Maeba, Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, Bennett Birabi, Barry Mpigi, Kenneth Kobani, and Prof. B. Fakae, among others.
The meeting is attended by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Ministers of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, Abubakar Momoh, Balarabe Abbas, and Mele Kyari; and the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The meeting’s agenda is unknown, but it is likely related to the Ogoni clean-up project and possible resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
The federal government has previously expressed concerns about the suspension of oil exploration in Rivers State.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Samuel Ogbuku, has also expressed worry over the conflicts that interrupted oil exploration and exploitation by multinational oil corporations in Ogoniland in Rivers state.
Ogbuku highlighted that the protracted impasse, coupled with a worsening energy crisis following the elimination of oil subsidies by the federal government, has deprived the nation of major contributions to its gross domestic product over the years.
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society organisations has sought $1 trillion from the federal government for Niger Delta cleanup and compensation for lost livelihoods before crude oil production resumes in Ogoniland.
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation issued a statement expressing concerns about the government’s plans to restart oil production in the community.
The group criticised the move as a disregard for environmental justice and cited a 2011 UNEP report as evidence.
