Key points
- Ogoni Dialogue Committee rejects allegations that its leadership was compromised by private interests or involved in corrupt practices.
- Chairman Don Baridam says the committee neither selected beneficiaries for NNPCL jobs nor awarded government contracts.
- The committee says dialogue with the Federal Government is progressing, with a possible interim agreement being considered on outstanding issues.
Main story
The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has rejected allegations of corruption against its leadership, saying claims that members were financially compromised or involved in back-door oil activities are false and misleading.
Chairman of the committee, Prof. Don Baridam, made the clarification on Wednesday at a news conference in Port Harcourt, following allegations by apex socio-cultural and regional organisations in Ogoniland, including KAGOTE and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People.
The groups had accused the ODC leadership of corruption and alleged that secret oil-related and drilling activities had commenced in parts of Ogoniland while formal discussions with the Federal Government over the resumption of oil operations were still ongoing.
They also questioned the handling of a 40-slot employment opportunity provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) as part of confidence-building measures in the dialogue process.
Baridam, however, said the committee had no role in determining who secured the NNPCL positions.
He explained that the employment opportunity emerged from proposals made by the Ogoni delegation during discussions with the Federal Government, but NNPCL had insisted that its established recruitment procedures would be followed.
According to him, the successful candidates were selected by NNPCL from qualified Ogoni applicants already in its recruitment database. He said the applicants had previously applied for positions, gone through the company’s recruitment processes and performed well.
Baridam acknowledged that some members of the ODC submitted names for consideration but said such nominations did not influence the final selection.
He also rejected allegations that the committee had awarded or allocated contracts to individuals or companies, saying such activities were outside its mandate.
The ODC chairman further denied receiving any budget, grant or other financial support from the Federal Government, describing the committee’s participation in the dialogue as a service to the Ogoni people.
The committee was inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in January 2025 to negotiate the possible resumption of oil exploration and production in Ogoniland after more than three decades of halted operations.
On allegations of renewed oil activities in the area, Baridam said the committee had no information confirming the resumption of oil and gas production under the Ogoni re-entry programme.
He said NNPCL had also indicated that it was unaware of reports of alleged oil-rig operations in Alesa-Eleme, although investigations into the reports were ongoing.
Meanwhile, Baridam said the proposed creation of Bori State remained one of the demands presented to the Federal Government by the Ogoni delegation.
He disclosed that the committee had established a tactical subcommittee to develop ways of pursuing the demand within the constitutional framework.
The ODC chairman said the broader dialogue had also advanced to the harmonisation of outstanding issues contained in the committee’s report, the Federal Government’s response and a technical committee report.
He said a Joint Harmonisation Committee comprising representatives of the Federal Government and Ogoni stakeholders was being considered to develop an interim memorandum of understanding on areas where agreement had been reached.
The issues
The allegations against the ODC come against the backdrop of continuing disagreement among Ogoni stakeholders over the conditions for the possible return of oil exploration and production to the area.
The handling of the NNPCL employment slots has emerged as one point of contention, with some groups questioning the transparency of the process and alleging that non-indigenes were included among the beneficiaries.
The ODC’s response is that recruitment remained entirely under NNPCL’s established procedures and that the committee did not determine the successful candidates.
Another issue is the allegation of renewed oil operations in parts of Ogoniland. The claims have raised concerns because the dialogue process is still addressing the conditions and framework for any possible re-entry of oil companies into the area.
The committee has also maintained that government contracts and financial allocations fall outside its mandate, while rejecting suggestions that its members have benefited financially from the dialogue process.
What’s being said
“The Ogoni Dialogue Committee neither selected nor recruited the beneficiaries.” — Prof. Don Baridam, Chairman, Ogoni Dialogue Committee
“The recruitment and selection process did not pass through the ODC, nor did the ODC determine who was employed.” — Prof. Don Baridam, Chairman, Ogoni Dialogue Committee
“At no time did the ODC award, allocate, distribute, or otherwise become involved in contracts.” — Prof. Don Baridam, Chairman, Ogoni Dialogue Committee
“ODC has established a tactical subcommittee to develop modalities for pursuing the demand in line with constitutional procedures.” — Prof. Don Baridam, Chairman, Ogoni Dialogue Committee
What’s next
The dialogue process is expected to continue with efforts to reconcile outstanding positions contained in the ODC report, the Federal Government’s response and the technical committee’s report.
A Joint Harmonisation Committee involving Federal Government representatives and Ogoni stakeholders may also be established to work towards an interim memorandum of understanding on areas of agreement.
Meanwhile, the committee is expected to continue discussions with Ogoni stakeholders on issues surrounding the proposed resumption of oil activities and the demand for the creation of Bori State.
Bottom line
The ODC has rejected allegations of corruption and denied involvement in NNPCL recruitment, contracts or government funding. With disagreements among Ogoni stakeholders continuing, the next phase of the dialogue will depend on whether the parties can build consensus around the conditions for oil re-entry and other outstanding demands.
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