President Bola Tinubu has posthumously conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage, the slain Ogoni leaders popularly referred to as the “Ogoni Four.”

He made the announcement on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while receiving the report of the Ogoni Consultation Committee.

The President urged the people of Ogoniland to embrace reconciliation and unity after decades of division.

“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 a united community with one voice,” Tinubu said.

He assured stakeholders that his administration would support Ogoniland’s pursuit of peace, environmental remediation, and economic revival, alongside facilitating the return of oil exploration to the area.

“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,” he added.

Tinubu recalled that in 2022, the previous administration handed over the operatorship of the Ogoni oil field to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its joint venture partners. He stressed that his government would honour and build on that decision.

He therefore directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to commence immediate engagement with the Ogoni people, NNPCL, its partners, and all relevant stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations.

Oil exploration in Ogoniland was halted in 1993 following prolonged protests against environmental degradation and injustice, culminating in the 1995 execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists.

“A dead asset is not valuable to the community, the country, or the people. The longer we procrastinate, the worse it is for everyone,” the President said. He also instructed the Minister of Environment to integrate pollution remediation and environmental recovery into the broader framework of dialogue with the people.

“Let us together turn pain into purpose, conflict into cooperation, and transform the wealth beneath Ogoni soil into a blessing for the people and for Nigeria,” Tinubu urged.

Presenting the Committee’s report, Ribadu said the consultations engaged all four Ogoni zones, with contributions from local communities, traditional leaders, and the diaspora. He noted that the process aimed not just to submit a report but to restore hope and trust after years of neglect and conflict.

Chairman of the Dialogue Committee, Professor Don Baridam, said the report reflected the collective will of the Ogoni people, capturing their demands for structured participation in oil production, renewed environmental clean-up, and a framework for sustainable development. He added that all stakeholders were carried along in the process.

Stakeholders agreed that the report should serve as a blueprint for implementation, with an inter-agency task force comprising NNPCL, relevant ministries, and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee to drive execution.