Ogoni land oil exploration may restart after Tinubu meets Fubara, Wike, Ogoni leaders
By John Egbokhan
Hopes are high that oil exploration in Ogoni land , Rivers State, may resume following a high level meeting President Bola Tinubu had with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, and a delegation of Ogoni leaders.
Held at the Council Chamber of the State House, the meeting, had in attendance prominent Ogoni figures such as Senators Lee Maeba, Magnus Abe, Bennett Birabi, Barry Mpigi, Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani, Legborsi Pyagbara, environmental advocate Ledum Mitee, etc.
Also available were National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and NNPC Limited Group CEO Mele Kyari, among others.
Though the agenda was not officially disclosed, the discussions are thought to be centered around the restarting oil production in Ogoni, which has been on hold for decades due to environmental concerns and community conflicts.
The Federal Government has consistently expressed concerns about the economic impact of the storage of oil exploration in Ogoni land.
In the meantime, a coalition of civil society organisations has kicked against plans to resume oil exploration without addressing the environmental and social offshoot of previous operations.
The coalition, including Health of Mother Earth Foundation, We The People, Social Action and Peoples Advancement Centre, is demanding $1 trillion in clean-up and compensation before production resumes.
The group's statement cited the 2011 UNEP report, which documented severe environmental degradation in Ogoniland, with widespread pollution of land, water, and air caused by years of oil exploration. They criticized the Federal Government’s move as dismissive of environmental justice and community welfare.
