President Bola Tinubu is currently holding a high-profile meeting with Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State and prominent leaders from Ogoniland at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Governor Fubara arrived at the venue accompanied by Senator Lee Maeba. Other key figures in the delegation included Senators Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Chief Victor Giadom, Chief Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Ledum Mitee, and Senators Bennett Birabi, Barry Mpigi, and Joe Poroma.
In attendance from the Federal Government are the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abba, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Although the details of the meeting’s agenda were not disclosed, it is widely speculated to revolve around the Ogoni cleanup and plans to resume oil exploration in the region.
This meeting comes in the wake of demands by a coalition of civil society organizations, including Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), and Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).
The coalition called for a $1 trillion allocation from the Federal Government for the cleanup of the Niger Delta and compensation for livelihoods lost due to oil exploration.
The groups, in a joint statement, expressed concerns over the government’s reported plans to restart oil production in Ogoniland, describing it as a disregard for environmental justice.
They cited the 2011 UNEP report, which exposed severe pollution of land, water, and air caused by oil activities, and criticized the government for failing to fully implement the report’s recommendations or prioritize environmental remediation in the area.
Updates on the meeting are expected soon.