President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately collaborate with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Ogoni community, and other key stakeholders to finalize plans for the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
This directive followed the presentation of a report by the Presidential Committee on Ogoni Consultations, chaired by Professor Don Baridam, at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday. The Ogoni delegation at the event was led by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Addressing the delegation, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to addressing the long-standing grievances of the Ogoni people. He emphasized that the Federal Government recognizes the decades of environmental damage and economic challenges the community has endured.
“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,” President Tinubu said.
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He further instructed the NSA to initiate immediate engagement between the Ogoni people, NNPCL, and all relevant stakeholders to finalize modalities for restarting oil production. According to him, the process should begin by addressing non-valuable assets that provide no benefit to the community or the country.
The move signals a renewed federal commitment to revitalizing oil activities in Ogoniland while prioritizing environmental sustainability, community participation, and socio-economic development.