King Lenu Tsaro Igbara (Gbene Teekoo IX) during a courtesy visit to the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Abuja.
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Traditional ruler of the Nortem Bori community in Ogoni, King Lenu Tsaro Igbara (Gbene Teekoo IX) on Monday commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for the intention to resume oil prospects in the land.
The monarch gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, at the party’s national secretariat, in Abuja on Monday.
The resumption of oil exploration
through the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) in Ogoni Kingdom, is coming 30 years after the sealing up of the oil well by the military administration of Gen. Sani Abacha.
Gbene Teekoo IX stated that the oil well is expected to produce 300,000 barrels of crude oil daily which according to him, accounts for about one-quarter of the total production in the country.
Recalling how the oil well in Ogoni land was sealed up, the royal father said: “The oil well allotted to Shell Petroleum in Ogoni land was sealed up by the military administration of Gen. Sani Abacha in 1993 following the killing of Rights activist, Ken Saro Wiwa.
“Over the years, Shell’s licence to prospect oil in Ogoni land expired but on assumption of office, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu embarked on the clean-up of Ogoni. With the success recorded in the clean-up exercise, the Federal Government handed over the well to NNPC and the NNPC has since returned to the site in preparation to commence work.
“By the time this operation begins, about 300,000 barrels of oil (representing 25% of daily production) will be produced from the Ogoni oil well”, the King said
Also, the paramount ruler lauded President Tinubu for the clean-up exercise of hydrocarbon in the land.
According him, the clean-up exercise is “paramount to his people because of the environmental hazard being suffered by the people of Ogoni land over the years.”
He noted that the clean-up exercise is addressing years of the level of environmental degradation the oil prospect has wrecked on the area.
On his part, the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje appreciated the Ogoni King for the visit and for recognising the effort of President Tinubu’s administration in the Niger Delta within a short life span of the administration.
Ganduje said: “The federal government under President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed is very active in the cleaning up of the hydrocarbons that are there in Ogoni land.
“So I am happy today, our brother His Royal Majesty from Ogoni land, has come to this office to appreciate what the federal government is doing to the Ogoni land.
“He (Ogoni monarch) appreciated the cleaning up because of the pollution, which everybody knows, is an environmental hazard.
“Though royal fathers are not partisan, but the same time, royal fathers, since they represent the security, the social and the needs of the people, are also in a position to thank the government if something is done to their people, in that case, they are not exempted from doing what he has done.”
