President Bola Tinubu has conferred posthumous national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on the late Ogoni leaders, Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage.
The recognition was announced at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the presentation of the Ogoni Consultations Committee report. Tinubu urged the people of Ogoniland to embrace reconciliation and unity after years of division, saying:
“May their memories continue to inspire unity, courage, and purpose among us. I urge the Ogoni people across classes, communities, and generations to close ranks, put this dark chapter behind us, and move forward as one community with one voice.”
The President pledged federal support for peacebuilding, environmental remediation, and economic revival in Ogoniland. He also confirmed plans to facilitate the resumption of oil production in the area, suspended since 1993.
Tinubu noted that the previous administration, in 2022, transferred operatorship of the Ogoni oil field to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its partners. He said his government would build on that decision, stressing:
“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.”
To fast-track the process, Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to engage Ogoni communities, NNPCL, and other stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations. He also instructed the Minister of Environment to integrate pollution cleanup efforts into ongoing dialogue.
Presenting his report earlier, Ribadu said the consultations engaged all four Ogoni zones and the diaspora, highlighting demands for structured participation in oil production, accelerated cleanup, and sustainable development.
Chairman of the Dialogue Committee, Prof. Don Baridam, added that the report reflects the collective will of the Ogoni people and should serve as a blueprint for an inter-agency task force.
Ribadu later reaffirmed Tinubu’s commitment to peace, stability, and inclusive development in the Niger Delta, assuring that the administration would implement directives to consolidate peace and address past injustices.
Oil exploration in Ogoniland was halted in 1993 following protests against environmental degradation, which culminated in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists in 1995.
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