Ogoni stakeholders have called on the National Security Adviser to investigate the process surrounding the proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, stressing that their demand is not to block production but to ensure transparency, meaningful participation, justice and the long-term interests of the Ogoni people.
A cross-section of leaders of the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people.
The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, KAGOTE, has called on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to urgently intervene in concerns surrounding the ongoing Ogoni Dialogue process and proposed resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
KAGOTE President Lesi Maol made the call during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, saying the organisation’s concerns are aimed at protecting the credibility of the dialogue process.
The briefing comes amid calls by some Ogoni youth groups for greater participation in discussions on the possible resumption of oil production.
Ogoniland, comprising Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State, was once a major oil-producing area in the Niger Delta before oil production stopped more than three decades ago following years of conflict and agitation over environmental degradation and the rights of the Ogoni people.
With the Federal Government’s Ogoni Dialogue Committee now engaging stakeholders on a possible resumption, KAGOTE says several developments require urgent clarification.
KAGOTE Seeks Clarity on Oil Activities
One of the major issues raised is uncertainty over the status of oil-related activities in parts of Ogoniland while consultations are still ongoing.
Maol said the absence of authoritative information has created apprehension among some Ogoni communities and made it difficult for representatives to provide accurate information.
“The absence of clear information from the leadership of the ODC on this matter has created uncertainty within our communities,” he said.
He said KAGOTE is asking that the status of oil activities in Ogoniland be clearly communicated to prevent misinformation and unnecessary tension.
“We therefore respectfully request that the position regarding the status of oil activities in Ogoniland be clearly communicated to the people,” the KAGOTE leader said.
Concerns Over Employment, Contracts
KAGOTE also raised questions over confidence-building opportunities reportedly provided through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Maol said while employment opportunities for Ogoni youths are commendable, concerns remain over the criteria used to select beneficiaries and how the opportunities are distributed across Ogoniland.
“We understand that, as part of confidence-building measures, employment opportunities were extended to Ogoni youths through NNPC,” he said.
He, however, called for greater transparency in the process.
“Greater transparency would protect the integrity of this important Federal Government initiative and ensure that its benefits are seen to be fairly distributed across Ogoniland,” Maol noted.
Similar concerns, he said, exist over contracts reportedly awarded as part of confidence-building interventions, with KAGOTE seeking greater disclosure on the nature and scope of the interventions, contract values, contractors and applicable processes.
Bakpo questions transparency
The second Vice President of KAGOTE and a member of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Rear Admiral John Nicholas Bakpo (Rtd.), also questioned the level of transparency within the committee.
He said he could not explain how the 40 employment slots reportedly provided by NNPCL as part of confidence-building measures were distributed among the local government areas.
“I cannot explain to anybody how the 40 slots that were given by NNPCL, as part of confidence-building measures prior to the negotiations, were distributed among the LGAs,” he said.
Bakpo also said he did not know the beneficiaries despite being a member of the committee.
“Neither do I know the name of any of the beneficiaries. Yet I am a member of the Committee,” he added.
He further raised concerns over the monitoring of confidence-building projects in Khana Local Government Area.
Bakpo said, “Neither do I know the contractors nor have the scope of work to be monitored.”
According to him, his attempts to seek greater transparency were met with attacks, and he called for intervention from the NSA.
Concern Over Oil Activities During Negotiations
Another major concern raised at the briefing is the reported commencement of oil-related activities in some parts of Ogoniland while negotiations are still ongoing.
Bakpo described this as particularly troubling, saying: “The worst-case scenario is the purported resumption of oil exploration activities in some parts of Ogoniland while the dialogue process is on and without proper negotiation, to the best of my knowledge.”
He said internal efforts to address the concerns had failed.
“Since all the internal appeals for a change in our modus operandi have failed, I feel this is the best medium to express my views to the NSA for immediate intervention,” he said.
Meanwhile, a member of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Rev. Father Pius Kii, also questioned the sequencing of the process.
He said fundamental issues such as equity participation, community ownership and host-community benefits should be established before irreversible decisions are taken.
“If equity participation, community ownership, host-community benefits and other fundamental protections are intended to form part of the final arrangement, they ought to be established before the principal decisions are taken and not after the fact,” he said.
Kii also questioned the urgency surrounding the process, noting that Ogoni has waited for decades.
“It took us almost 33 years to get to this point. Why must we now rush the process?” he asked.
He said the objective should be to secure the right agreement for Ogoni, rather than simply reaching an agreement quickly.
“What Ogoni requires is not merely a quick agreement. Ogoni requires the right agreement.”
Bori State, Development Concerns
Kii also raised concerns over the handling of demands expressed during consultations with the Ogoni people, particularly the demand for the creation of Bori State.
According to him, the demand was repeatedly expressed by the people and should be understood against Ogoni’s historical experience.
He also questioned the distribution of “quick-win” or “low-hanging-fruit” projects, saying the criteria for selecting beneficiary communities should be transparent and equitable.
Kii specifically cited concerns over the absence of such projects in Babbe Kingdom and questioned the exclusion of a road to Bane, the hometown of late Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.
He also called for more ambitious investments in healthcare and education, arguing that sustainable empowerment requires investment in human capital.
KAGOTE Calls For NSA Intervention
KAGOTE is asking the Office of the National Security Adviser to investigate allegations that the name and authority of the NSA may be invoked by unauthorised persons in relation to appointments or nominations within the dialogue process.
The group is also seeking clarification on the procedure for determining Ogoni representation on harmonisation or negotiation platforms and improved information sharing among members of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee.
Maol stressed that KAGOTE’s position does not amount to opposition to the Federal Government or to the possible resumption of oil production.
He said the organisation wants a process that is transparent, inclusive and credible and that commands the confidence of both the Ogoni people and the Federal Government.
KAGOTE is therefore urging the National Security Adviser to establish the facts, address the concerns raised and protect the integrity of the dialogue process.
The group says the objective is not to stop oil resumption but to ensure that any return to oil production is founded on transparency, meaningful participation, justice and the long-term interests of the Ogoni people.
