President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and leaders from Ogoniland at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, January 21.
The high-profile delegation includes Senators Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, and Bennett Birabi Barry, among others.
While the specifics of the agenda have not been disclosed, the discussion is believed to centre on the Ogoni clean-up project and the possible resumption of oil exploration in the region.
Other government officials, such as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abba, and the Minister for Abuja FCT, Nyesom Wike, also attended the meeting.
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However, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed strong reservations about being excluded.
MOSOP, in a statement, said it was saddened by the oversight of not consulting them, labelling the meeting as “clandestine.” The group warned that such behaviour could undermine the region’s ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts.
The Ogoni clean-up project has been a long-standing issue, and global environmental groups have criticized the Nigerian government for its handling of the project.
The resumption of oil exploration in the region has also been contentious, with some communities refusing to cooperate due to potential environmental and social impacts.
The meeting was also a chance for Gov. Fubara to meet with his estranged predecessor, Nyesom Wike, with whom he has been involved in a power struggle in the state.
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