PORT HARCOURT: The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has declared that it will not sign the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government on the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland until credible and inclusive congresses are conducted across the four Ogoni local government areas of Rivers State.
The committee said the congresses were necessary to secure the consent of the Ogoni people, establish the legitimacy of any agreement and ensure that communities have confidence in the ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government.
The position was reached at a meeting involving 35 members of the ODC in Port Harcourt, where members reviewed the proposed MoU, ongoing consultations and efforts to resolve the longstanding Ogoni crisis.
The committee’s declaration highlights the importance of community participation and collective agreement in determining the future of oil exploration in Ogoniland, an area with a history of environmental degradation, disputes over resource management and demands for justice by its people.
The ODC has been engaging the Federal Government over plans to resume oil exploration in the oil-producing communities. However, the committee maintained that no agreement should be concluded without obtaining the genuine approval of the people through an established consultation process.
Beyond the proposed oil resumption agreement, the committee expressed concerns over the implementation of confidence-building projects previously discussed with the Federal Government.
It specifically urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to demonstrate greater commitment to the dialogue process by ensuring the completion of important development projects, particularly the Eleme section of the East-West Road.
The committee maintained that visible government action on infrastructure and other agreed commitments would help rebuild confidence among the Ogoni people and demonstrate that the ongoing negotiations were not merely political discussions.
Speaking after the meeting, the GbeneMene of Tai Kingdom, Samuel Nnee, who also serves as the convener and coordinator of the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, called for unity among members of the committee.
Nnee commended President Tinubu for his involvement in efforts to resolve the Ogoni crisis and facilitate the possible resumption of oil exploration in the area.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, to the engagement process.
According to him, negotiations have been difficult and demanding, but sustained cooperation, patience and unity would be necessary to achieve a mutually acceptable outcome.
The King of Eleme, Philip Obele, reaffirmed the committee’s determination to protect the collective interests of Ogoni communities throughout the negotiation process.
He assured members and residents that the ODC would remain united and continue consultations to ensure that the proposed agreement reflects the aspirations of the people.
Obele emphasised that the committee would not sign the proposed MoU until credible and authentic congresses had been conducted in accordance with the committee’s resolutions.
He said the congresses would be organised and hosted by the elected council chairmen of the four Ogoni local government areas.
The monarch’s position underscores the committee’s insistence that the decision on oil resumption must not be left exclusively to a negotiating team or a few representatives without wider community participation.
Also speaking, the Judicial Vicar of the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt and Senior Lecturer at Rivers State University, Rev. Monsignor 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 explained that members had also agreed to conclude the harmonisation of the proposed MoU in line with resolutions reached during previous meetings.
Kii said the chairmen of the four Ogoni local government areas, who had been assigned to sensitise residents and engage their respective communities ahead of the congresses, had reported considerable progress.
He added that the council chairmen were expected to complete the assignment within the timeline established by the committee.
Following the consultations, the harmonised MoU would be presented to the respective local government congresses for consideration.
Meanwhile, the committee expressed dissatisfaction over the suspension of work on confidence-building projects earlier agreed upon as part of the proposed understanding with the Federal Government.
A member of the ODC, Professor Innocent Barikor, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently resume the projects, with particular emphasis on the abandoned Eleme section of the East-West Road.
Barikor argued that the implementation of the projects was essential to restoring public confidence and demonstrating the government’s sincerity in the ongoing negotiations.
He stressed that the Ogoni people needed to see tangible evidence of government commitment rather than relying solely on assurances and promises during meetings.
According to him, completing the agreed projects would help reassure communities that the proposed dialogue could deliver practical benefits beyond the resumption of oil exploration.
The latest position of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee brings renewed attention to the sensitive relationship between oil exploration, environmental protection, community consent and economic development in Ogoniland.
For decades, Ogoni communities have raised concerns about the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of petroleum operations in the Niger Delta. The legacy of oil pollution, demands for environmental restoration and questions surrounding the equitable benefits of natural resources have remained central to discussions about the region’s future.
Consequently, the proposed resumption of oil exploration is not simply an economic or commercial decision. It also involves questions of public trust, community participation, environmental safeguards, accountability and the protection of the interests of future generations.
The ODC’s insistence on credible congresses before signing the MoU suggests that the committee wants the people to have a direct voice in determining the terms under which oil activities could return to their communities.
For the Tinubu administration, the ongoing engagement presents an opportunity to demonstrate that negotiations with oil-producing communities can produce agreements supported by meaningful consultations and visible development commitments.
Until the congresses are conducted and the proposed agreement receives the required consideration, the Ogoni Dialogue Committee has made its position clear: there will be no signing of the MoU.
