Ogoni Committee Insists On Community Congress Before FG’s Proposed Oil Resumption

The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has declared that it will not sign any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Government on the proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland until credible and authentic congresses are conducted across the four Ogoni local government areas.

The committee said the consultations and congresses were necessary to guarantee that the proposed agreement reflected the collective interests of the Ogoni people and enjoyed the legitimacy, acceptance and confidence of the communities.

The proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland has remained a contentious issue, with different groups and stakeholders expressing divergent positions.

While some have opposed a return to oil production, others have raised concerns about the transparency of the engagement process, the terms of the proposed agreement and the extent to which ordinary Ogoni people are being carried along.

The concerns have fuelled calls for broader consultations, clear communication and confidence-building measures before any decision on oil resumption is finalised.

Against this background, the Ogoni Dialogue Committee said its engagement with the Federal Government must be anchored on unity, transparency and the consent of the people.

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt and member of the committee, Professor Ndowa Lale, said the meeting had produced important resolutions that would guide the committee’s next steps in the dialogue process.

According to the monarch, the dialogue process has been painstaking and, at times, difficult, but he expressed optimism that patience, cooperation and sustained engagement would produce the desired outcome.

On the proposed MoU, the Judicial Vicar of the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt and Senior Lecturer at Rivers State University, Monsignor Dr Pius Kii, disclosed that the committee had resolved to support the Federal Government’s efforts to resume oil exploration in Ogoniland for the benefit of Nigeria and the Ogoni people.

He said members also agreed to conclude the harmonisation of the proposed MOU in line with resolutions reached at their previous meeting.

Monsignor Kii explained that the chairmen of the four Ogoni local government councils, who were mandated to engage and sensitise their respective communities ahead of the proposed congresses, had reported significant progress.

Similarly, the Green Ogoni Initiative rejected the proposed oil resumption, arguing that the process did not adequately address the rights and interests of the Ogoni people, including environmental protection and community consent.

However, other stakeholders have focused their concerns on the manner in which the negotiations are being conducted rather than an outright rejection of oil resumption.

The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, KAGOTE, had earlier called for greater transparency in the dialogue process, raising questions about community representation, employment opportunities, contract awards and reported oil-related activities while negotiations were still ongoing.

The organisation maintained that transparency and accountability were necessary to protect the credibility of the engagement and prevent further divisions among Ogoni stakeholders.

The Ogoni Peoples’ Assembly had also called for the publication of the proposed MOU and wider community review before any agreement was signed, insisting that the commercial, environmental and ownership arrangements should be made clear to the people.

Against these differing positions, the Ogoni Dialogue Committee’s insistence on credible community congresses represents another significant step in the ongoing negotiations.

The committee’s resolutions, according to them, are anchored on the importance of unity, transparency, broad-based consultations and confidence-building projects in efforts to resolve the longstanding Ogoni crisis and determine the future of oil exploration in the area.

The central question remains whether the ongoing dialogue can produce an agreement that satisfies the Federal Government’s interest in oil production while securing the trust, participation and acceptance of the Ogoni people.