President Buhari
President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari this morning disappointed those who had expected that he would personally flag off the oil spill clean-up exercise in Ogoniland. What with the elaborate publicity given to his planned attendance of the event sponsored by the United Nations Environmental Programme.

Indeed, by 9:00am, guests and the local people gathered at the venue of the event at Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State were still guessing as to the amount of time they would still have to wait before the President arrived.

It was at about 10:30am that the whispers began to go around the venue that the President would not be attending the event in person. Yet, there was a lot of optimism by those who believed the occasion was too important to the President for him to stay back. To the optimists, the presence of such personalities as the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Babafemi Ojudu who had been seated for hours was enough signal that President Buhari was on his way.

Even in Abuja this morning, the belief in high government quarters was that Buhari was on his way to Ogoniland to perform a very symbolic function. Even ministers did not know that the President had changed his mind. Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige who represented the President at the Triennial Conference of the Trade Union Congress in Abuja for instance, told the audience that his boss was unable to be with them because he had to be in Ogoniland. Ngige even took time to explain to the labour leaders why Buhari’s Ogoni engagement was so important. Unknown to the minister however, his principal was nowhere near Rivers State.

Back to Bodo, venue of the symbolic flag-off of the Ogoniland clean-up. The event commenced on an unusual note. People & Power learnt that some high-level Federal Government functionaries passed the information that the President intended the event to be very brief. So, the occasion actually commenced well in advance before the much anticipated arrival of the President.

Prominent figures who played one role or the other in the advocacy for the clean-up of Ogoniland were called to speak. Those who spoke included Senator Magnus Abbe who is an Ogoni indigene. He was followed by erstwhile captain of the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, Joseph Yobo. After Yobo, current Miss Nigeria, who is also an Ogoni citizen spoke followed by the erudite Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah.

Apparently, the expectation among those who moderated the event was that Buhari would arrive after most of the speeches had been made.

It was when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s convoy drove straight into the venue that it became clear to all that the President had changed his mind from personally attending the function. Naturally, Osinbajo arrived with his host, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Delivering the President’s address, Vice President Osinbajo said: “We are here today to fulfill our promise to the Ogoni people.” Buhari said he was committed to ensuring that the clean-up of Ogoniland would be implemented to the fullest. He also revealed that the methodology of the clean-up would create employment for a lot of the local people.

The actual launch of the clean-up was performed by Osinbajo on behalf of the President at exactly 12:26pm.