Senator representing Rivers South-East, Senator Olaka Nwogu, has urged Ogoni people to ignore reports of division among leaders involved in talks with the Federal Government over the proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
Nwogu, who is Chairman of the Harmonisation Committee of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, ODC, spoke during a press briefing on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. It was his first public address since he won the June by-election to replace the late Senator Barry Mpigi.
He said the Harmonisation Committee does not replace the ODC, which remains the substantive body mandated to engage the Federal Government under the leadership of Professor Don Baridam, but was set up to harmonise various positions submitted by Ogoni stakeholders.
According to him, the committee has met severally with the Federal Government delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the discussions have yielded progress, including agreement on confidence-building measures to demonstrate government commitment to Ogoni.
Nwogu said the goal of the dialogue is to secure lasting benefits for Ogoni, including a thriving business environment, functional schools and health facilities, jobs for youths and stable electricity. He listed the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology as a major gain from the engagement so far.
Reacting to speculations of a rift between Professors Lesi Maol and Don Baridam, the Senator said disagreements during meetings were normal and should not be interpreted as division.
“We are cordial. We meet, we talk. We are talking about our place with a lot of passion, but it’s in a working group,” he said.
He stressed that decisions are taken collectively in the best interest of Ogoni and not on the basis of personal or political affiliations, assuring that no agreement will be finalised without the consent of the people.
“We are not going to agree anything on behalf of the people until we have brought it to the people,” he said.
Nwogu urged the Federal Government to consider Ogoni’s history of environmental degradation and underdevelopment in the negotiations and called on Ogoni people to shun personal attacks and remain united.
