Senator Magnus Abe has hailed the posthumous conferment of national honours on four Ogoni leaders as a historic moment in the community’s struggle.
President Bola Tinubu on September 24 awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) to late Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, Chief Theophilus Orage, and Mr. Albert Badey at the Presidential Villa.
“What happened today is the long-overdue recognition of these outstanding leaders,” Abe said on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “It was a defining moment, and we are grateful to President Tinubu for taking this step to put the demons of the past behind us.”
He described the move as unifying for Ogoniland, stressing that it sets the stage for reconciliation and development.
“With this step, we believe the ground is set for the takeoff of a new Ogoni. Our prayer is to harness the blessings of our land for our people’s benefit, instead of the suffering, pollution, and deaths of the past,” Abe said.
The honour comes 16 months after Tinubu promised to pursue the Ogoni cleanup and expand empowerment programmes for the oil-rich region.