By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt
PORT HARCOURT — The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, KAGOTE, has intensified its call for transparency and accountability in the ongoing Ogoni Dialogue process, declaring that no individual, organisation or committee is bigger than the collective interest of Ogoniland.
KAGOTE, in a response to the Facilitators of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, ODC, said its intervention was aimed at seeking clarity and accountability rather than confrontation or opposition to the Federal Government’s efforts to facilitate the responsible resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
The organisation, led by its President, Chief Lesi Maol, said it supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed engagement with the Ogoni people and recognised the role of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in facilitating the process.
It, however, warned that the goodwill surrounding the Federal Government’s initiative could be undermined by what it described as procedural ambiguity, inadequate communication, personality-driven decisions and unauthorised invocation of the names or offices of senior government officials.
At the centre of its concerns is the composition of the Harmonisation Committee.
KAGOTE said the Facilitators had acknowledged that the initial composition of Ogoni representation generated concerns and was subsequently reconstituted.
The group therefore demanded answers to four questions: who authorised the original composition, the criteria used to select persons who were not members of the ODC, whether the authority of the Office of the National Security Adviser was invoked and, if so, by whom and under what authority.
KAGOTE said the questions were institutional rather than personal accusations against the NSA, arguing that greater clarity would protect the integrity of the office and strengthen confidence in the dialogue process.
Representation under scrutiny
The organisation also questioned the procedure for selecting individuals to represent Ogoni in joint negotiations and harmonisation processes.
According to KAGOTE, a process of such historical importance should not be dependent 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 the Ogoni people.
The organisation also demanded improved access to minutes, reports and records of material engagements by duly constituted members of the ODC.
KAGOTE seeks clarity on oil activities
KAGOTE also raised concerns over reported oil-related activities in parts of Ogoniland while discussions on oil resumption continue.
It noted that the ODC Facilitators had stated that, to their knowledge, there were no oil and gas production activities directly connected to 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 deserved authoritative information on whether such activities were taking place, their nature and purpose, the authority under which they were being conducted and whether they were separate from the issues under negotiation.
Projects, jobs demand transparency
The group further called for greater transparency regarding projects described as confidence-building interventions arising from engagement between the Federal Government and Ogoni representatives.
It said information should, where appropriate, be made available on the nature and location of such projects, implementation arrangements, responsible government agencies, contractors or beneficiaries, approved costs and monitoring mechanisms.
On employment, KAGOTE welcomed the clarification that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, relied on an existing database of qualified Ogoni applicants and that the ODC did not determine the final beneficiaries.
It nevertheless requested further details, including the number of positions, selection criteria and geographical representation across the four Ogoni local government areas.
The organisation also expressed concern that members of the ODC should not ordinarily learn about major developments concerning the future of Ogoniland through newspapers or informal channels.
While acknowledging that sensitive negotiations might require confidentiality, KAGOTE said there should be a distinction between legitimate confidentiality and unnecessary secrecy.
‘ODC not bigger than Ogoniland’
KAGOTE also rejected suggestions that its intervention amounted to a sponsored media campaign aimed at undermining the Ogoni Dialogue.
It challenged the Facilitators to identify any inaccurate allegation made by the organisation and provide the relevant facts, saying it was prepared to acknowledge and correct any position conclusively proven to be wrong.
“We have no interest in a media contest with the ODC or its leadership,” the organisation said, stressing that its interest was in “facts, clarity and credible answers.”
In a strong statement, KAGOTE declared that neither the ODC, KAGOTE, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, the Facilitators nor any individual or organisation was bigger than Ogoniland.
It said the collective interest of the Ogoni people must remain paramount in the dialogue process.
The organisation stressed that it was not opposed to oil resumption, provided the process was anchored on credible environmental safeguards, community participation, fairness, transparency, security, meaningful economic participation, inclusive negotiations and clearly defined sustainable benefits for Ogoni.
“Questions are not sabotage. Constructive criticism is not opposition. Accountability is not hostility. Transparency is not an obstacle to development,” KAGOTE said.
It called for broader consultation with the Ogoni people before final and irreversible decisions were taken on matters of profound historical importance, including an appropriate town hall or wider consultative engagement.
KAGOTE also requested clearer communication on the roles, mandates and responsibilities of those currently operating as Facilitators of the ODC, saying institutional clarity would help prevent further controversy.
The organisation said it remained willing to engage with the ODC, its Facilitators, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Federal Government and other legitimate Ogoni stakeholders.
It maintained that it was not seeking to collapse the dialogue but to strengthen it, adding that it supported responsible oil resumption but wanted a process whose outcome would be sustainable, transparent and beneficial to the Ogoni people.
KAGOTE said the renewed engagement between the Federal Government and the Ogoni people represented a historic opportunity that should not be squandered.
It added that its demand for clarification was ultimately aimed at ensuring that the Ogoni people had a process they could “understand, trust and ultimately embrace.”
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