Presidency Says Buhari Did Not Cancel Trip To Ogoni Land

The presidency on Thursday refuted claims that president Muhammadu Buhari canceled his trip to Ogoni land, Rivers State for the launching of oil spillage clean up exercise in the region.

“We all went to school. There is a difference between cancellation and being represented by someone. The president did not cancel his trip to Ogoniland. He was represented by the Vice President,” Special Adviser on media and publicity Femi Adesina told Vanguard.

Until this morning, the people of Rivers STate were expecting to receive the president. But at the last minute, news filtered in that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would represent the president.The decision of the president against going to Ogoni Land was believed to be connected to a threat by militant group the Niger Delta Avengers that the president would be killed if he showed up.

No official reason was given for the president’s change of plans.

Speaking at the launch, Osinbajo described the occasion as an historic one for the Ogoni people and the entire Niger Delta.

According to him, the clean-up of Ogoni land was not just a restoration of the environment but would be a restoration of families, the people’s wealth, health and everything that is good about the land.