The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has finally responded to growing concerns over the oil resumption talks in Ogoniland after months of silence.
Stakeholders across Ogoni had been demanding answers on several issues including rumors of secret oil operations, reports of 40 NNPCL job slots for Ogoni youths, and whether the demand for Bori State was part of the negotiations.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the Committee addressed the concerns. The ODC said it did not allocate the 40 jobs. According to them, NNPCL selected beneficiaries from its database of Ogoni applicants who had previously applied. The Committee admitted that some non-Ogoni names were nominated from certain quarters, but stressed that NNPCL made the final decisions.
The ODC also denied involvement in awarding government or NNPCL contracts, saying that is not within its mandate. On reports of oil operations in Ogoniland, the Committee said it is unaware of any production linked to the re-entry programme. NNPCL also denied knowledge of rig activities, though investigations into claims from Alesa in Eleme are ongoing.
The Committee clarified that the Federal Government has not rejected the request for Bori State. To pursue it, the ODC has set up a Tactical Sub-Committee to work on modalities in line with constitutional procedures. The negotiators further denied receiving any funds from the Federal Government and challenged anyone with evidence to provide details of payment.
The ODC informed that the dialogue has now moved to the next stage with the formation of a Joint Harmonization Committee. The committee is expected to harmonize areas of agreement into an interim Memorandum of Understanding, while negotiations continue on outstanding issues, particularly Bori State.
The Committee said it remains open to working with KAGOTE, MOSOP, and other stakeholders, maintaining that the objective of the dialogue is to achieve peace, justice, environmental restoration, and sustainable development for Ogoni people.
