President Bola Tinubu is holding a meeting with Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and Ogoniland leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Governor Fubara arrived alongside Senator Lee Maeba. Other notable members of the delegation are Senators Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Bennett Birabi Barry, Mpigi and Joe Poroma.
The group also includes Chief Victor Giadom, Chief Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii and Leedom Mitee.
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The meeting is also attended by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari; the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abba; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Although the agenda has not been officially disclosed, discussions are expected to center on the Ogoni clean-up project and the resumption of oil exploration in the area.
The meeting comes amid increasing calls by civil society groups for the Federal Government to allocate $1 trillion to clean up the Niger Delta and compensate affected communities before restarting crude oil production in Ogoniland.
These demands were outlined in a joint statement from Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation.
The groups criticized the government’s plans to resume oil activities in the region, calling it a dismissal of environmental justice.
The statement highlighted the environmental damage in Ogoniland, as documented in the 2011 UNEP report, which detailed extensive pollution of land, water and air. The coalition expressed disappointment in the government’s failure to fully implement the UNEP recommendations or prioritize environmental restoration.
This meeting is anticipated to address these critical concerns and set a course for progress in the region.
Crediblenewsng.com
