The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, KAGOTE, and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee have disagreed over allegations of job racketeering and other issues that surround the planned resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
KAGOTE, which represents the four local government areas of Ogoniland: Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, had last week alleged that reports available to it indicated that some members of the dialogue committee were soliciting jobs from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The President of KAGOTE, Chief Lesi Maol, also raised concerns that some members of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee had allegedly smuggled the names of non-Ogoni people into the list of beneficiaries recently employed by the NNPCL. He demanded transparency from the committee, saying the Ogoni people welcomed the oil re-entry process because of the personalities involved in the committee.
However, speaking at a news briefing in Port Harcourt, the Chairman of the ODC and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Don Baridam, denied playing any role in the selection of the 40 beneficiaries recently offered employment opportunities by the NNPCL, describing the claims as false and misleading.
