Tinubu honours Ogoni 4, moves to restart oil production in Ogoniland

— Directs NSA to statesman engagement betwixt Ogoni, NNPCL

—Ribadu reaffirms President’s directives connected Niger Delta peace, development

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA – PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu connected Wednesday conferred posthumous nationalist honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, connected the precocious Ogoni four; Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage.

President Tinubu bestowed the honours connected the 4 leaders, portion receiving the study of the Ogoni Consultations Committee astatine the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President urged the radical of Ogoniland to clasp reconciliation and unity aft decades of division.

He said:“May their memories proceed to animate unity, courageousness and intent among us. I impulse the Ogoni radical crossed classes, communities and generations to adjacent ranks, enactment this acheronian section down america and determination guardant arsenic a agreed assemblage with 1 voice.”

President Tinubu pledged his administration’s enactment for peace, biology remediation, and economical revival successful Ogoniland, portion confirming plans to facilitate the resumption of lipid accumulation successful the area.

He said: “I americium encouraged by the overwhelming statement of the Ogoni communities to invited the resumption of lipid production. The authorities volition deploy each assets to enactment your radical successful this march towards shared prosperity.”

The President recalled that successful 2022 the erstwhile medication handed the operatorship of the Ogoni lipid tract to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL and its partners, and stressed that his authorities would physique connected that decision.

He directed the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to statesman engagements betwixt Ogoni communities, NNPCL, and different stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations. The Minister of Environment was besides tasked to integrate contamination remediation into ongoing dialog with the people.

Earlier successful his report, the NSA stated that the consultations engaged each 4 Ogoni zones and the diaspora, capturing demands for structured information successful lipid production, accelerated cleanup, and sustainable development.

Prof. Don Baridam, seat of the Dialogue Committee, said the study reflects the corporate volition of the Ogoni radical and should service arsenic a blueprint for implementation done an inter-agency taskforce.

Fielding questions aft the event, Ribadu reaffirmed Tinubu’s committedness to peace, stability, and inclusive improvement successful the Niger Delta.

He said the medication would strictly instrumentality each directives to consolidate bid and close past injustices.

“Peace is being restored already, and Nigerians volition soon spot the benefits, not conscionable successful Ogoniland, but crossed the Niger Delta and beyond,” Ribadu assured.

Oil exploration successful Ogoniland has been suspended since 1993 pursuing protests against biology degradation, culminating successful the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 different activists successful 1995.

The station Tinubu honours Ogoni 4, moves to restart lipid accumulation successful Ogoniland appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.