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FUBARA LEADS RIVERS ELDERS, LEADERS TO ASO ROCK OVER OGONI CLEAN UP
President Bola Tinubu Tuesday met with Governor Sim Fubara of State Rivers State and the leaders of Ogoniland at the presidential Villa Abuja.
Governor Fubara arrived with Senator Lee Maeba and among the delegation were Senators Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Chief Victor Giadom, Chief Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, as well as Senators Bennett Birabi Barry. Mpigi and Joe Poroma.
Also present were the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, the Minister of Environment, Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abba, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh and the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not made public, it was not unconnected to the Ogoni clean-up and the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
Recall that a coalition of civil society organisations had demanded an allocation of $1 trillion from the Federal Government for the cleanup of the Niger Delta and compensation for the loss of livelihoods, before the resumption of crude oil production in Ogoniland.
The demands were tabled in a statement signed by the organisations including Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), and Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), while expressing concerns over the Nigerian government’s reported plans to resume oil production in the community.
The group described the move as a disregard for environmental justice
The statement highlighted the historical environmental degradation caused by oil activities in Ogoniland, documented in the 2011 UNEP report, which revealed widespread pollution of land, water, and air.
The group expressed disappointment that the government has yet to fully implement the UNEP recommendations or prioritize the cleanup of the region.
