President Bola Tinubu has bestowed the posthumous national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) upon four distinguished former leaders from the Ogoni community.
This announcement was made during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, where the President received the report from the Ogoni Consultation Committee.
The honoured individuals-Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage-are collectively remembered as the “Ogoni Four.”
In 1995, these men were reportedly meeting in Giokoo community within Rivers State’s Gokana Local Government Area when they were violently attacked and killed by a mob.
At that time, Ken Saro-Wiwa, then leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), along with eight others, were accused by the late General Sani Abacha’s regime of masterminding the murders. They were subsequently arrested, tried, and sentenced to death by hanging.
The executions took place on November 10, 1995.
During the session, President Tinubu called on the Ogoni people to foster reconciliation and unity, urging them to move beyond years of discord.
He pledged that his administration would back efforts aimed at peacebuilding, environmental restoration, and economic development within Ogoniland.
President Tinubu also referenced the previous administration under former President Muhammadu Buhari, which in 2022 transferred the operatorship of the Ogoni oil fields to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its joint venture partners. He affirmed his government’s commitment to uphold this decision.
Furthermore, he instructed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to promptly initiate discussions involving the Ogoni community, NNPCL, its partners, and other key stakeholders to finalize plans for resuming oil production activities.
He remarked, “Let the legacy of the ‘Ogoni Four’ serve as a beacon of unity, bravery, and determination for all of us. I call on the Ogoni people-across all social strata, communities, and generations-to unite, leave behind this painful history, and advance together as one voice.”
“I am heartened by the broad agreement among Ogoni communities to welcome the revival of oil operations,” he added.
“The government is committed to deploying all necessary resources to support your community on this path toward shared growth and prosperity.”
