By DESMOND EJIBAS

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), has said that Rivers remains one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.

He added that President Bola Tinubu was personally pleased with Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s style of leadership.

Ribadu made this known on Monday when he led a presidential delegation to visit Fubara at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

The delegation included the Minister of Works, David Umahi; the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, and senior officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation Limited (NNPCL).

Ribadu explained that the Federal Government delegation was in Rivers to consolidate ongoing peace efforts in Ogoniland.

“We visited because a new chapter is unfolding in Ogoniland, and it will no longer be what it used to be,” he said.

He stated that Tinubu specifically directed the delegation to commend Fubara for his leadership style and for coordinating discussions on the resumption of crude oil exploration in Ogoniland.

“We also commend the Rivers State Government for providing a campus for the University of Environment and for accommodating the South-South Zonal Office of the Office of the NSA,” he added.

In his remarks, Umahi described the Ogoni peace initiative as strategic to Nigeria’s renewed unity, noting that Tinubu had a personal interest in the wellbeing of the people of the Niger Delta.

He promised that the ongoing East-West Road project, including the 15-kilometre Eleme section and five flyovers, would soon be completed.

According to him, the Rivers Government is supporting the Federal Government by undertaking the construction of one of the flyovers.

“The East-West Road project is scheduled for completion by April 2026.

“Following presidential approval, designs are ongoing to dualise the Bonny-Bodo Road from its starting point to connect the East-West Road, including the construction of two flyovers,” he said.

Umahi also disclosed that President Tinubu had ordered a redesign of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to pass through Ogoniland in Rivers.

Speaking further, the Minister of Environment, Lawal, stated that projects recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were progressing satisfactorily.

He listed these projects to include the mangrove restoration, healthcare delivery, human capital development, and women empowerment initiatives.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mr Bayo Ojulare, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the ongoing Ogoni dialogue process.

He revealed that the employment of 30 Ogoni indigenes by NNPCL had reached the final stage, with their appointment letters already issued and resumption scheduled for January 2026.

“Going forward, the focus will be on the people rather than oil. This is evident in the rapid developments taking place in Ogoniland, which serves as a model for a new Nigeria,” Ojulare said.

In his response, Fubara commended Tinubu for his interventions in Rivers, noting that the various developments reflected the actions of a leader who genuinely loved the people of the state.

The governor observed that resolving a crisis that had lingered for over three decades in Ogoniland was not an easy task.

According to him, the President’s intervention in the East-West Road has made it possible for residents and visitors to travel with ease, improving connectivity between Bonny and Bayelsa.

“Beyond infrastructure, President Tinubu’s administration is rebuilding confidence in the Niger Delta,” he said.

Fubara reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining the peace process and managing emerging political conflicts in the state, stressing that development could not thrive in an atmosphere of crisis.

“Adjustments and compromises are necessary for sustainable development to take place,” he said.

He also appealed to Ogoni leaders to engage the youths in granting access to workers deployed to repair faulty equipment at oil facilities in Ogoniland, to prevent fresh oil spills in the area. (NAN)

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