NSA Nuhu Ribadu gets new Appointments
……as Chief Negotiator For Resumption Of Oil Drilling In Nigeria’s Ogoni Lan. .
Oil production activities in Ogoniland were halted in 1993, following extensive unrest and protests by local communities.
The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has been appointed as the chief negotiator for the resumption of oil drilling in Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
Oil production activities in Ogoniland were halted in 1993, following extensive unrest and protests by local communities.
The demonstrations were a response to the severe environmental degradation caused by operations of the Shell Petroleum Development Company, which was later forced to withdraw its operations from the area.
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and key leaders from Ogoniland at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigerian government had made lavish preparations to host the Ogoni stakeholders.
Others in attendance included Ribadu, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abba; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; Senator Magnus Abe, Chief Victor Giadom and the late Ken Saro-Wiwa’s brother, Owens.
SaharaReporters learnt that the meeting was also attended by the leaders of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and other Ogoni stakeholders.
On Saturday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that the Nigerian government was set to hold a closed-door meeting with prominent Ogoni leaders in Abuja to discuss the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
It was noted that the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, January 21, 2025, would take place at the Presidential Villa, with arrangements overseen by National Security Adviser Mallam Ribadu.
Sources told SaharaReporters that some leaders had been invited for a two-night stay at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, beginning Monday, January 20, 2025.
However, a source privy to discussions at the meeting on Tuesday told SaharaReporters that Tinubu said he was an activist with deep knowledge of the injustices done against Ogoni people by oil companies and the military.
“NSA Ribadu was appointed as chief negotiator for resumption of oil drilling in Ogoni land. Tinubu met with Ogoni stakeholders in Abuja and outlined that he was as activist deeply knowledgeable about the injustices done against Ogoni people by oil companies and the military,” the source said.
“The meeting was attended by leaders of MOSOP and other Ogoni stakeholders including the state government and Federal Capital Territory Minister. However, the leader of Ogoni people said they will go back home and consult widely with their people.”
According to the source, the “delegation upon completing the meeting moved over to the office of the NSA where the meetings continued”.
SaharaReporters further learnt that Dr Owens Wiwa, the younger brother of late Ogoni activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa was also in attendance.
The newspaper earlier reported that Dr Wiwa was present to urge the Nigerian government to exonerate his brother and eight other Ogoni activists who were executed by the former dictator General Sani Abacha.
“Ken Saro-Wiwa’s younger brother, Dr. Owens Wiwa, is in attendance to demand from the Nigerian government an exoneration of his brother and eight other Ogoni activists who were executed by ex-dictator General Sani Abacha,” a source privy to information about the meeting told SaharaReporters on Tuesday.
Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists were executed in 1995 by military dictator, Abacha
The activists, who became known as Ogoni 9, were from the Ogoni region and had opposed the operating practices of the Royal Dutch Shell oil corporation.
Apart from author and playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa, others were Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.
