Ogun Govt Backtracks on Oil Drilling Location as Ipokia Community Protests Being ‘Snubbed’

It turns out that a simple “slip of the pen” can spark a political firestorm. The Ogun State Government has been forced to clear the air after a major blunder in a press release led residents of Ipokia to believe they were about to become Nigeria’s newest oil hub only for the government to take it all back.

Earlier this week, headlines buzzed with the news that President Tinubu had approved commercial oil drilling on Tongeji Island. The news was initially greeted with cheers, but the celebration quickly turned into a “letter-writing campaign” when conflicting reports suggested the state was actually looking at a different site entirely.

Feeling like the rug was being pulled from under them, the people of Ipokia, through their legal representative Barrister Lawal Orisadare, fired off a petition to Governor Dapo Abiodun. They demanded to know why the narrative had suddenly shifted from their island to Eba in Ogun Waterside. For the people of Ipokia, this isn’t just about money; it’s about safety. They warned that if the government ignores Tongeji, the Republic of Benin which is just a short boat ride away might start looking even more attractive to the locals.

Responding to the heat, the Governor’s media team admitted that the first announcement was essentially a “typo” on a grand scale. Kayode Akinmade, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, explained that a press officer had accidentally swapped the names in the heat of the moment.

“The Governor actually said the President approved exploration in Eba,” Akinmade clarified. He noted that while Tongeji Island is definitely sitting on a “goldmine” of crude oil, the area is currently too remote and lacks the roads and pipes needed to get the oil out. Eba, on the other hand, is right next to the proposed Olokola Deep Seaport, making it the more logical place to start.

Despite the explanation, the “correction” has left a bitter taste for the Ipokia community, who feel their long-awaited development is being put on the back burner. For now, the government is trying to play peacemaker, promising that Tongeji hasn’t been forgotten—it just isn’t the “first in line” for the drills.