Tinubu receives Fubara, Ogoni leaders in Aso Rock
By Jeffrey Agbo
President Bola Tinubu is meeting with Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and leaders from Ogoni at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The delegation includes key stakeholders such as Senators Lee Maeba, Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, and Monsignor Pius Kii, alongside prominent figures like Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani and Ledum Mitee.
Also in attendance are federal officials including Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abba; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
While the agenda of the meeting has not been officially disclosed, sources suggest discussions may centre on the ongoing Ogoni cleanup project and plans to resume oil exploration in the region.
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Ahead of the meeting, a coalition of civil society organisations demanded $1 trillion from the Federal Government for the cleanup of the Niger Delta and compensation for livelihoods lost due to decades of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
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), expressed concern over the government’s reported plans to resume oil production in Ogoniland. They criticised the move as a disregard for environmental justice, emphasising the severe environmental degradation documented in the 2011 UNEP report.
The UNEP report revealed widespread pollution of land, water and air in Ogoniland caused by years of oil operations. Civil society groups accused the government of failing to fully implement the UNEP recommendations or prioritise the cleanup of the region.
