Hope for Ogoniland: President Orders Talks on Oil Resumption, Confers National Honours
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to begin immediate engagement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Ogoni people, and other stakeholders to finalise plans for the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
The directive followed the submission of a report by the Presidential Committee on Ogoni Consultations, chaired by Professor Don Baridam, at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday. Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, led the Ogoni delegation to the ceremony.
In a related gesture, Tinubu conferred posthumous national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four prominent Ogoni sons Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Albert Bade, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage—who lost their lives during the struggle for environmental justice in the region. The move comes months after the President honoured Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists executed during the Sani Abacha regime.
Acknowledging the pain and sacrifices endured by the Ogoni people, Tinubu assured that his administration was committed to safeguarding their environment while pursuing reconciliation and shared prosperity. “We are not, as a government, taking lightly the years of pain endured in Ogoniland,” he said. “This reconciliation is not an erasure of history but the commitment to write the next chapter together.”
The President tasked the Minister of Environment and the NSA to integrate ongoing environmental remediation with the dialogue process, stressing that initial efforts would focus on non-valuable assets that serve no benefit to the community or the country.
Rivers State Governor Fubara noted that the President’s confidence-building measures had already improved progress on key projects, including the East-West Road and the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology.
NSA Ribadu confirmed that stakeholders had reached consensus on restarting oil operations anchored on fairness, equity, environmental protection, and community benefits. He said early steps such as constituting the university’s governing council and mediating divisions helped foster trust among parties.
Committee Chairman Baridam praised the President’s commitment, describing the consultation process as transparent and inclusive, while welcoming the national honours as a recognition of the Ogoni struggle for justice and human rights.
