₦airaland Forum

President promises to immortalise martyrs

•NSA Ribadu to coordinate peace parley
Concrete steps are being taken by President Bola

Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and critical stakeholders in Rivers State to restart oil production in Ogoniland.

The President and the governor yesterday identified the entrenchment of peace in the oil-rich community as a catalyst for its clean-up and development.

President Tinubu urged Ogoni leaders, who were yesterday led to a meeting by Fubara at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to set aside their age-long differences and grievances, and join hands with the government to achieve the set goal in Ogoniland.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike joined the meeting midway.

Talks on restarting oil production and environmental clean-up of Ogoniland, among other issues, topped the agenda at the meeting held at the President’s instance.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President assured Ogoni leaders that his administration would prioritise peace, justice, and sustainable development in the area.

“We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward.

“We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry,” the statement quoted the President as saying.

President Tinubu, who called for inclusive consultation and mutual understanding, mandated National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to coordinate negotiations.

He commended the delegation for embracing the Federal Government-led dialogue and emphasised the need for collaboration, trust, and inclusiveness to resolve lingering issues in the region.

“We must work together with mutual trust. Go back home, do more consultations, and embrace others.

“We must make this trip worthwhile by bringing peace, development, and a clean environment back to Ogoniland,” the President said.

He directed the relevant ministers, the Nigerians National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Rivers State government to cooperate with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to achieve the mandate.

The President said: “It is a great honour for me to have this meeting, which is an opportunity to dialogue with the people of Ogoniland.

“It has been many years since your children and myself partnered to resist military dictatorship in this country. No one dreamt I would be in this chair as President, but we thank God.

“Many of your sons present here were my friends and co-travellers in the streets of Nigeria, Europe, and America.

“I know what to do in memory of our beloved ones so that their sacrifices will not be in vain.”

Thanking the President for his support for the Ogoni people by welcoming an all-inclusive representation to the State House, Fubara said the meeting was a follow-up to an assignment given to him by the President through the NSA.

Emphasising the importance of resuming oil operations in Ogoniland, the governor pledged the delegation’s commitment to adhering to the President’s instructions and providing the necessary support to achieve the government’s objectives.

He said: “What we are doing here today is to concretise the love and respect we have for the President for being behind this meeting and for him to tell us to go back and continue the consultations with a timeline so that the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland will commence.”

Ribadu also commended the Ogoni people for their trust in President Tinubu and for embracing dialogue as a path to meaningful progress and enduring solutions.

“Guided by Mr. President’s vision that every voice is heard and every interest is considered, my office, the DSS, the government of Rivers State and the Minister of FCT embarked on a diligent and consultative process to assemble this delegation,” the NSA said.

He noted that the over 50-member delegation that met with the President reflected the rich diversity of Ogoni society, representing various constituencies, interests, and viewpoints.

“The presence of this delegation is a testament to the Ogoni people’s readiness to engage constructively in the pursuit of peace, justice, and sustainable development,” he said.

King Festus Babari Bagia Gberesaako XIII, the Gberemene of Gokana Kingdom, who spoke for the Ogoni leaders, expressed their willingness to engage in the process of finding lasting solutions to the lingering challenges in Ogoniland.

At the meeting were Senators Bennett Birabi, Barrynada Mpigi and Joe Porom, Magnus Abe and Lee Maeba; Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Chief Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee and Gabriel Piidomson.

Also yesterday, Minister of the Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said remediation of 36 polluted sites in Ogoniland has been completed.

He said seven additional water projects have also been done as part of the government’s commitment to environmental restoration and development in the region.

The minister, who spoke after the meeting, highlighted the administration’s significant strides in tackling longstanding environmental challenges in Ogoniland.

He said: “This administration has been doing very well because the project has been there for over five years, but the commitment of President Tinubu has moved it forward remarkably.”

Noting that before the Tinubu Administration, only one water project was completed in Ogoniland, the minister added: “As I’m talking to you now, eight have been commissioned, so seven have been commissioned under the administration of President Tinubu.”

In addition to water supply, the government has made substantial progress in the remediation of polluted sites.

“In the area of remediation, we have done about 36 sites; they have been completed, and they’ve been certified as environmentally conducive for people,” the minister confirmed.

On what the government is doing to address health concerns linked to pollution, Lawal explained that efforts were underway to build medical facilities and conduct comprehensive health assessments in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).

He said: “We are doing a very comprehensive analysis of the kind of ailments in that area, and we are working to address the issues of pollution-related illnesses.

“Restoring Ogoniland’s ecosystems has been another priority, with significant attention given to mangrove reforestation.

“So far, we have planted more than two million seedlings of mangroves in the last six months, and we’re still on that. The mangroves are the source of livelihood for many, supporting fish, shrimp, and crab populations.”

Lawal expressed optimism about the ongoing efforts to restore peace and economic activities, including oil prospecting, in Ogoniland.

“I feel that this administration, more than any other, has done so well for them in trying to bring them back to where they were,” the minister said.

Ojuntana:
Unfortunately, from the pictures, the people that were called were more of politicians than the real people of Ogoni kingdom

i hope the people will be carried along instead of these chop-I-chop politicians else the whole thing might end up being a waste of time

The focus should not be oil as it seems to be the driving force but more importantly environmental restoration, economic resuscitation and social justice for Ogoniland instead of the audio declarations the minister is making

Also, the oil wells should not become another national cake to settle friends and cronies. The indigenes should benefit from the allocation of oil wells as well. That is where the big issue is cause we know how Ebilokan does his thing. Lagos-Calabar highway of fraud is an example

Manny21:
Somebody somewhere is interested in milking the oil well in Ogoni and must have paid a fortune to Kickstart the resolution moves. The winners of the bid for Ogoni oil well is already known

samebony1:
https://thenationonlineng.net/our-plan-to-restart-oil-production-in-ogoni-by-tinubu-fubara/

Softmirror:
This is another of Tinubu's achievement. But right now it is still in 'PROCESS' the 'OUT PUT' will be another achievement.