President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday -today, January 21 – met with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and a delegation of Ogoni leaders at the State House in Abuja.
The meeting, which commenced at approximately 2:37pm with diverse groups – traditional rulers, religious leaders, and prominent political figures from the region – in attendance, centred essentially on the potential resumption of oil exploration activities in the Ogoni oil fields, an area that has faced years of stagnation due to environmental concerns and community protests.
The discussion was also aimed at assessing the progress made in ongoing cleanup initiatives, following decades of oil spills and environmental degradation in Ogoniland.
The federal government had expressed increasing concerns over the long-standing cessation of oil exploration by International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Ogoniland.
Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, who represented the government during the meeting, noted that the prolonged standstill in oil exploration exploitation in Ogoniland has significantly impacted Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), particularly in light of the recent energy crisis exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidies.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, later joined the meeting.
Key political figures present included Senators Magnus Abe and Lee Maeba, as well as other notable leaders such as Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, and Leedom Mitee.
Also in attendance were Senators Bennett Birabi Barry Mpigi and Joe Poroma, among others.
On the government side, several high-ranking officials participated, including 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, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, was also in attendance.
