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Former Senator Lee Maeba has commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a consistent show of goodwill and inclusiveness toward Rivers State, Ogoniland and the Ogoni people, following the nomination of Magnus Abe and Kenneth Kobani to key boards in the petroleum sector.
In a statement Wednesday, Mr Maeba, an Ogoni leader and former senator who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District between 2003 and 2011, praised President Tinubu for “serially demonstrating kindness, fairness and a deep understanding of the sensitivities of Rivers State and Ogoniland” through recent federal appointments.
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Reacting to the president’s nomination of Mr Abe as chairman of the board of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr Maeba described the choice as well-deserved, noting Mr Abe’s experience in public service and his familiarity with the oil and gas sector.
Mr Abe, who also formerly represented Rivers South-East in the Senate, is a former board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and currently chairs the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.
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Mr Maeba also welcomed the nomination of Kenneth Kobani, a former minister of state for trade and former secretary to the Rivers State Government, as a non-executive member of the board of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
He said Mr Kobani’s inclusion further underscored President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that Rivers State is adequately represented in critical national institutions.
According to Mr Maeba, the appointments are particularly significant for Ogoniland at a time stakeholders are working to address long-standing environmental, economic and developmental concerns linked to oil exploration.
He said as an Ogoni man and one of the leaders advocating the restart of oil production in Ogoniland under the right environmental and community-focused conditions, he views the president’s actions as confidence-building measures.
“These appointments send a strong signal that the federal government is ready to engage constructively with Rivers State and Ogoniland, and to carry the people along in decisions affecting the oil and gas sector,” Mr Maeba said.
“President Tinubu has, time and again, shown understanding and empathy toward our people.”
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President Tinubu had, in letters to the Senate, sought confirmation of nominees for the boards of the NUPRC and the NMDPRA.
In addition to Mr Abe, the president nominated several executive and non-executive commissioners to the NUPRC board, as well as Mr Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as chairman of the NMDPRA board, alongside other board members and executive directors.
Mr Maeba urged the Senate to confirm the nominees promptly, expressing confidence that the appointees would discharge their responsibilities professionally and contribute to effective regulation of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry in line with the Petroleum Industry Act.
He added that sustained inclusion of competent Rivers and Ogoni sons and daughters in national leadership positions would help deepen trust, promote stability in the Niger Delta and support broader efforts to revive oil production and economic growth in the region.
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