President Bola Tinubu has disclosed his plan to restart oil production in Ogoniland in Rivers State.
The president revealed this on Wednesday when he conferred posthumous national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, on the late Ogoni four; Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage.
Conferring the honours at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, in the presence of Ogoni paramount traditional rulers, Tinubu urged the Ogoni people to embrace reconciliation and unity after decades of division.
He assured them of his administration’s support for peace, environmental remediation, and economic revival in the land.
“I am encouraged by the overwhelming consensus of the Ogoni communities to welcome the resumption of oil production.
“The government will deploy every resource to support your people in this march towards shared prosperity,” he said.
The president instructed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to begin engagements between Ogoni communities, NNPCL, and other stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations.
The NSA, earlier in his report, stated that the consultations engaged all four Ogoni zones and the diaspora, capturing demands for structured participation in oil production, accelerated cleanup, and sustainable development.
However, Ogoni land remains polluted by oil spillage till date while the federal government keeps re-emphasising its commitment to the Ogoni cleanup.
