Ogoni Oil Resumption: KAGOTE, ODC Clash As Youths Demand 500 NNPCL Jobs
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Fresh controversy has erupted among stakeholders in Ogoniland, Rivers State, over the planned resumption of oil exploration in the area, with KAGOTE and the facilitators of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) exchanging sharply worded statements on the credibility and transparency of the process.
The latest development came as the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) Worldwide announced plans to convene a national congress of Ogoni youths to address emerging disagreements over the proposed oil resumption, while demanding 500 direct employment opportunities from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), instead of the 40 slots reportedly allocated to Ogoni youths.
KAGOTE, an apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, in a statement signed by its President, Chief Lesi Maol, said it was not opposed to the Federal Government, President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, the ODC or responsible oil production in Ogoniland.
It, however, demanded greater transparency over the composition of the ODC’s harmonisation committee, reported oil-related activities in Ogoniland, confidence-building projects, employment opportunities and the sharing of information among members of the dialogue committee.
KAGOTE said its intervention was aimed at protecting the integrity of the process, rejecting an earlier characterisation by the facilitators that its position amounted to alleged “sponsored media campaign” aimed at discrediting or scuttling the dialogue.
“Questions are not sabotage. Constructive criticism is not opposition. Accountability is not hostility. Transparency is not an obstacle to development,” the group stated.
“We do not seek confrontation; we seek clarity. We do not seek to collapse the dialogue; we seek to strengthen it.”
The group particularly sought clarification on the original composition of the harmonisation committee, asking who authorised it, the criteria used in selecting members and whether the authority of the Office of the NSA was invoked.
KAGOTE also called for clarity over reports of oil-related activities in parts of Ogoniland, saying the people deserved to know the nature, purpose and authority behind such activities and whether they were connected to the proposed re-entry programme.
On employment, KAGOTE acknowledged the explanation that the NNPCL relied on an existing database of qualified Ogoni applicants and that the ODC did not select the beneficiaries of about 40 employment opportunities.
It therefore called for appropriate verification of the intervention, including the number of positions, selection criteria and geographical distribution.
Earlier, Ogoni youths had announced plans to hold a National Youth Congress to address issues arising from the proposed oil resumption.
The Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), which is convening the congress, also demanded 500 direct employment opportunities for qualified Ogoni youths in the NNPCL and its subsidiaries, describing the reported 40 slots as inadequate.
Speaking during the inauguration of the planning committee for the congress, President-General of OYF Worldwide, Legborsi Yamaabana, said the Ogoni nation was at “a critical crossroads” and required broad-based consultation before oil activities resumed.
He commended Tinubu for renewing federal attention to Ogoni but said any engagement must be based on “environmental justice, equitable benefit-sharing, and the protection of the dignity, rights, and future of the Ogoni people”.
Yamaabana appealed to Ogoni political, traditional and community leaders to avoid confrontation over the 40 employment slots.
He said: “This 40 slots are paltry and insignificant given the scale of our sacrifice; and as such, it should not become a source of internal rancour, division, or friction among our people.”
He added that Ogoni youths would formally demand a minimum of 500 direct employment opportunities at the forthcoming congress.
The OYF leader said the congress had become urgent amid concerns that some individuals could undermine federal efforts towards a peaceful resumption of oil exploration.
He said the planning committee had been mandated to develop an operational framework and mobilise youth groups and other stakeholders for a broad-based physical and virtual congress.