President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently in discussions with a delegation of Ogoni leaders, led by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The delegation includes prominent figures such as Senator Lee Maeba, Senators Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Chief Victor Giadom, Chief Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, and Bennett Birabi Barry. They are joined by Mele Kyari, the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), along with several key ministers: Minister of Environment Balarabe Abba, Minister of Information Idris Mohammed, Minister of Regional Development Abubakar Momoh, and National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
While the exact agenda of the meeting has not been disclosed, it is widely speculated that it is related to the ongoing Ogoni cleanup efforts and the possible resumption of oil exploration in the region.
This comes after a coalition of civil society groups called for the Nigerian government to allocate $1 trillion for the cleanup of the Niger Delta and compensation for the environmental damage caused by oil activities in the region.
The groups, including Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), and Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), have voiced concerns over the government’s reported plans to restart oil production in Ogoniland.
The coalition argues that such a move disregards environmental justice, noting the severe environmental degradation in the area, as highlighted in the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, which documented widespread pollution of the land, water, and air.
They expressed frustration over the government’s failure to fully implement the UNEP’s recommendations or prioritize the region’s cleanup.
