President Bola Tinubu has called on the leaders of Ogoni land in Rivers state to “set aside historical grievances” and collaborate with the federal government to foster development in the oil-rich community.
Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during a meeting with leaders of Ogoni land at the presidential villa.
The delegation included Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state; Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT); and Magnus Abe, a former senator.
Other members were Lee Maeba, Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Ledum Mitee, Bennett Birabi, Barry Mpigi, Joe Poroma, and Gabriel Piidomson.
While the agenda of the meeting was not stated, discussions were believed to focus on the federal government’s reported plans to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land.
Sources also indicated that the meeting addressed developments regarding the Ogoni oil spill.
During the meeting, Tinubu acknowledged the historical challenges faced by the Ogoni people and noted the need for reconciliation and progress.
“We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward. We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry,” Tinubu said, according to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson.
“We must work together with mutual trust. Go back home, do more consultations, and embrace others. We must make this trip worthwhile by bringing peace, development, and a clean environment back to Ogoni land.
“It is a great honour for me to have this meeting, which is an opportunity to dialogue with the people of Ogoni land.
“It has been many years since your children and I partnered to resist military dictatorship in this country. No one dreamt I would be in this chair as president, but we thank God.
“Many of your sons present here were my friends and co-travellers in the streets of Nigeria, Europe, and America.”
Speaking at the meeting, Fubara assured Tinubu that the delegation would adhere to his instructions and provide the necessary support to achieve the federal government’s objectives.
“What we are doing here today is to concretise the love and respect we have for the president for being behind this meeting and for him to tell us to go back and continue the consultations with a timeline so that the resumption of oil production in Ogoni land will commence,” the Rivers governor said.
However, some stakeholders have criticised the federal government for allegedly failing to conduct adequate consultations regarding its reported plans to resume oil exploration in the region.
A coalition of civil society organisations has also demanded the allocation of $1 trillion for the clean-up of the Niger Delta and compensation before oil operations resume.
Oil exploration in Ogoni land was halted in the early 1990s due to decades of environmental degradation caused by oil spills. Activists from the region have long criticised the impact of oil production on their community.
On November 10, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists were executed by hanging after being found guilty of the murder of four Ogoni chiefs by a military tribunal.
The activists, who denied the charges, had led protests against pollution in Ogoni land, which were perceived as a threat to the regime of Sani Abacha, the former military ruler, and Shell, a major oil company operating in Nigeria.
