President Bola Tinubu is meeting with a delegation of Ogoni leaders from Rivers state at the State House, Abuja.
The meeting, which commenced at about 2:37 pm at the Council Chambers has the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, traditional rulers, clergy and political leaders, in attendance.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, joined the meeting after the meeting has commenced.
Among those at the meeting are Senator Magnus Abe, Senator Lee Maeba, Olaka Nwogu, Chief Victor Giadom, Chief Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, as well as Senators Bennett Birabi Barry. Mpigi and Joe Poroma, Leedom Mitee, Gabriel Piidomson, among others.
Those who joined the meeting on the side of government include National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; his Regional Development counterpart, Abubakar Momoh; Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL, Mele Kyari and the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Tosin Ajayi.
The meeting, which has been discussed among other groups at different levels, is expected to discuss issues around possible resumption of oil exploration activities in the Ogoni oil fields and the progress so far made on clean up activities.
The Federal government had expressed concern over years of stoppage of oil exploration by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
Managing Director Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku on behalf of the Federal Government had noted that stand-offs in the face of growing energy crisis occasioned by the removal of oil subsidy by the federal government has robbed the nation of vital Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the years.
Details Later…