President Bola Tinubu is currently in a private meeting with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and a delegation from Ogoniland, which represents four local government areas in the state.
The meeting, taking place at the State House Council Chamber, saw Fubara and the Ogoni representatives arrive earlier, with Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, arriving around 2:45 p.m.
Fubara’s delegation includes notable figures such as Senators Lee Maeba, Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, Senators Bennett Birabi, Barry Mpigi, and Prof. B. Fakae, along with other key stakeholders.
Also present at the meeting are National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of Information and National Orientation Idris Mohammed, Minister of Regional Development Abubakar Momoh, Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas, and Mele Kyari, the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL).
The agenda of the closed-door discussion remains undisclosed; however, speculations suggest the talks could focus on the ongoing Ogoni clean-up initiative and the potential resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
The Nigerian government has previously raised concerns about the prolonged suspension of oil exploration in the region, with Niger Delta Development Commission MD, Samuel Ogbuku, stressing the negative impact on the country’s economy.
Ogbuku noted that the suspension, coupled with the energy crisis caused by the removal of oil subsidies, has resulted in substantial losses to the nation’s GDP.
In the meantime, a coalition of civil society organizations has urged the federal government to allocate $1 trillion for environmental clean-up and compensation for affected communities before oil exploration in Ogoniland resumes.
The group, which includes Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria and others, condemned the government’s potential plans to restart production, accusing it of neglecting environmental justice.
The coalition referenced the 2011 UNEP report, which highlighted extensive environmental damage in Ogoniland due to oil activities, including severe pollution of land, water, and air.
