By: Felix Ikpotor
The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has denied influencing the selection of 40 Ogoni beneficiaries of employment opportunities at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), saying it had no role in the recruitment process.
The committee, which is engaging the Federal Government on the possible resumption of oil and gas operations in Ogoniland, also denied allegations that it awarded contracts or received funds from the Federal Government.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt, the ODC Chairman, Prof. Don Baridam, described statements attributed to KAGOTE and other groups as false and misleading.
He said the employment opportunities were among the confidence-building measures proposed by the Ogoni delegation to the Federal Government but stressed that the ODC neither selected nor recruited the beneficiaries.
According to Baridam, NNPCL drew the successful candidates from a pool of qualified Ogoni applicants already in its recruitment database, rather than from nominations made by the committee.
“When the issue of employment was raised, NNPCL made it clear that it would not compromise its established professional and recruitment standards,” he said. “The company informed us that it already had in its recruitment database several qualified Ogoni sons and daughters who had previously applied, undergone its recruitment processes and performed well.”
He acknowledged that some ODC members submitted names of persons they wanted considered, but said those nominations did not determine the outcome.
“The recruitment and selection process did not pass through the ODC, nor did the ODC determine who was employed,” Baridam said, adding that suggestions that the committee or its facilitators distributed the jobs as patronage were false.
The ODC also dismissed claims that it was involved in the award or allocation of government and NNPCL contracts. Baridam said contract awards were outside the committee’s mandate and that it lacked the authority or machinery to influence such decisions.
“At no time did the ODC award, allocate, distribute or otherwise become involved in contracts,” he said.
On reports of renewed oil activities in Ogoniland, the committee said it had no information indicating that oil and gas production had resumed under the Ogoni re-entry programme. It added that NNPCL had said it was unaware of the alleged oil-rig operations, although investigations into the reported activities in Alesa-Eleme were ongoing.
The committee also denied receiving any budget, grant or other funds from the Federal Government, describing its participation in the dialogue process as a sacrifice and service to the Ogoni people.
On the proposed creation of Bori State, Baridam said state creation remained a key demand presented to the Federal Government. He said the committee had established a tactical sub-committee to work on the modalities, while acknowledging that the process must follow constitutional procedures.
Baridam said the dialogue process had advanced to efforts to harmonise outstanding issues arising from the ODC report, the Federal Government’s response and the report of a technical committee. He said a Joint Harmonization Committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Government and Ogoni, was being considered to develop an interim memorandum of understanding on areas of agreement.
The ODC appealed to KAGOTE and other Ogoni stakeholders to use available channels for constructive engagement, saying it remained open to contributions that could strengthen the dialogue process and advance peace, environmental restoration and development in Ogoniland.
