President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to engage the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Ogoni leaders, and other stakeholders to finalise modalities for the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
The President gave the order on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving the report of the Presidential Committee on the Ogoni Consultations, chaired by Professor Don Baridam. Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, led the Ogoni delegation to the presentation ceremony.
As part of the event, Tinubu conferred posthumous national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four Ogoni leaders — Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Albert Bade, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage — who lost their lives in the struggle to protect Ogoniland’s environment. The honour follows the President’s earlier recognition of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists in June.
“We are not, as a government, taking lightly the years of pain endured in Ogoniland. The Federal Government truly acknowledges the long suffering of the Ogoni people, and today, we declare with conviction that hope is here and is back with us,” Tinubu said.
The President assured the communities that his administration would provide resources to safeguard their environment and promote shared prosperity. He urged the Ogoni people to unite, stressing that reconciliation would pave the way for equitable oil operations in their land.
NSA Nuhu Ribadu explained that early confidence-building measures, such as progress on the East-West Road and the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology, had already helped ease tensions and promote dialogue. He noted that the consultations resulted in a “constructive and all-inclusive” report that emphasised fairness, environmental responsibility, and direct community benefits.
Governor Fubara praised Tinubu’s interventions, noting that they had restored confidence in the Federal Government’s commitment to the Niger Delta. Committee Chairman Professor Baridam also commended the President for recognising the sacrifices of the Ogoni people, describing his approach as one that had restored long-lost hope.
