Tinubu Awards Ogoni Four, Orders Oil Production Resumption

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received the report from the Presidential Committee on the Ogoni Consultations and taken decisive steps towards the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, Rivers State, nearly three decades after operations were halted. The President directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately engage with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Ogoni communities, and other relevant stakeholders to finalize modalities for restarting oil operations.

The report, presented at the State House in Abuja and chaired by Professor Don Baridam, marks a significant milestone in addressing longstanding tensions and environmental concerns in the oil-rich region. Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State led the Ogoni delegation to the ceremony, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts for sustainable development in the area.

In a historic gesture, President Tinubu conferred posthumous national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four prominent Ogoni leaders—Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Albert Bade, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage—who lost their lives in the struggle for environmental protection and justice in Ogoniland. This follows a similar honour given in June to Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists, victims of the brutal military regime under Sani Abacha.

The President praised the commitment and wisdom shown by the Baridam committee in navigating the complex consultations and urged the Ogoni people to embrace reconciliation and unity. “We are not, as a government, taking lightly the years of pain endured in Ogoniland… today, we declare with conviction that hope is here and is back with us,” President Tinubu said, emphasizing the government’s resolve to protect the environment while promoting economic benefits for the communities.

Recognizing the sacrifices of the Ogoni people, Tinubu directed the Minister of Environment and the NSA to integrate environmental remediation programs within the broader dialogue framework. He assured that the government would deploy necessary resources to support the Ogoni communities’ march to shared prosperity, calling on all stakeholders to move past historical divisions and write a new chapter of unity and progress.

ADVERTISEMENT

NSA Mallam Nuhu Ribadu emphasized the inclusive nature of the consultations, which involved all four Ogoni zones and diaspora representatives. He noted that the report calls for structured participation in oil production through equity funds, employment opportunities, and community benefits, alongside accelerated environmental cleanup efforts overseen by the hydrocarbon pollution remediation project (HYPREP).

Governor Fubara highlighted the positive impact of early confidence-building initiatives, including infrastructure improvements such as work on the East-West Road and the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology, which symbolize renewed hope for development in Ogoniland.

The consultation committee, chaired by Professor Baridam, expressed gratitude for the President’s visionary leadership and the all-encompassing dialogue process, which sets a blueprint for future action to bring peace, justice, and sustainable development to Ogoniland. The committee endorsed the creation of an inter-agency task force to ensure effective implementation of the report’s recommendations.

President Tinubu’s directives and honours represent a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s Niger Delta history, signaling a commitment to reconciliation, environmental restoration, and economic revitalization in Ogoniland after decades of environmental degradation and social unrest .