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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni ethnic nationality, KAGOTE, has again slammed the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC), declaring that “no individual, organisation or committee is bigger than the collective interest of the Ogoni people”.
KAGOTE, which comprises all the four local government areas (Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme), in Ogoni, Rivers State, in its response to the facilitators of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, said its intervention was aimed at obtaining “clarity, transparency and accountability, not confrontation.”
It insisted that questions raised about the dialogue process should not be interpreted as opposition to the Federal Government or an attempt to derail the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
The group led by its President, Chief Lesi Maol, said it supports President Bola Tinubu’s renewed engagement with the Ogoni people and recognises the role of National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in facilitating the process.
The organisation, however, warned that the goodwill surrounding the Federal Government’s initiative could be undermined by “procedural ambiguity, inadequate communication, personality-driven decisions and any unauthorised invocation of the names or offices of senior government officials”.
The organisation said the facilitators’ response acknowledged that the initial composition of the Ogoni representation had generated concerns and was subsequently reconstituted.
KAGOTE is now asking four key questions: “Who authorised the original composition? What criteria were used to select persons who were not members of the ODC? Was the authority of the Office of the National Security Adviser invoked? And, if so, by whom and under what authority?”
It stressed that the questions were institutional rather than personal accusations against the NSA, arguing that clarity would protect the integrity of the office and strengthen confidence in the dialogue.
According to KAGOTE, a process of such historic importance should not depend on personalities, informal arrangements or understandings known only to a few individuals.
It called for a “clear, credible and properly documented procedure” for determining who speaks or negotiates on behalf of Ogoni, alongside improved access to minutes, reports and records of material engagements by duly constituted members of the ODC.
The organisation also raised questions about reported oil-related activities in parts of Ogoniland while negotiations on oil resumption continue.
KAGOTE noted that the facilitators had stated that, to their knowledge, there were no oil and gas production activities directly connected with the Ogoni re-entry programme, while acknowledging that inquiries into reported activities in “Alesa-Eleme and other parts of Ogoniland” were ongoing.
KAGOTE said the Ogoni people deserve authoritative information on whether such activities are taking place, their nature and purpose, the authority under which they are being conducted and whether they are separate from the issues under negotiation.
The group further demanded greater transparency around projects described as confidence-building interventions arising from engagement between the Federal Government and Ogoni representatives.
It said information should, where appropriate, be available on the nature and location of projects, implementation arrangements, responsible government agencies, contractors or beneficiaries, approved costs and monitoring mechanisms.
On employment, KAGOTE welcomed the clarification that NNPCL relied on an existing database of qualified Ogoni applicants and that the ODC did not determine the final beneficiaries.
It called for broader confirmation of the intervention, including the number of positions, selection criteria and geographical representation across the four Ogoni local government areas.
The organisation also complained that ODC members should not ordinarily learn about major developments concerning the future of Ogoniland through newspapers or informal channels.
