Human Rights
Publish Contractor List Now, Ogoni Group Tells NNPCL, NSA Over Planned Oil Resumption
By Joseph Sunday
An Ogoni pressure group, the Ogoni Generational Thinkers, has called for the immediate publication of the list of Ogoni indigenous contractors allegedly submitted to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) ahead of the planned resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
The demand was contained in a statement issued by the group’s spokesperson, Dowel Badom.
The group described the submission as an opaque process designed to determine beneficiaries of emerging opportunities in Ogoniland without consultation, disclosure and accountability.
It called on the leadership of the Ogoni Indigenous Contractors to publish the full list of individuals and companies submitted to the NNPCL and ONSA for consideration for wellhead servicing and other oil-related contracts.
According to the group, preliminary findings showed that some names on the list have no verifiable link to communities directly impacted by decades of oil exploration and environmental pollution, while legitimate contractors from the affected communities were excluded.
“It is troubling that a group claiming to represent all Ogoni indigenous contractors would submit names, including business names of individuals with no verifiable connection to impacted communities, to the Office of the National Security Adviser and NNPCL for contract consideration… while genuine contractors from the impacted communities remain unattended to,” the statement said.
The Ogoni Generational Thinkers said the secrecy surrounding the list raises serious questions about the credibility of the Ogoni Dialogue process and whose interests it seeks to protect.
The group also questioned the role of individuals linked to the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC), noting that the persistent lack of transparency around engagements connected to the proposed oil resumption has eroded public confidence.
It listed concerns raised by stakeholders to include: lack of transparency in critical decisions affecting Ogoni communities; non-disclosure of beneficiaries of opportunities allocated to Ogoni; controversy over the distribution of 40 NNPCL employment slots reportedly earmarked for Ogoni youths; alleged inclusion of non-Ogoni indigenes among beneficiaries; marginalisation of directly impacted communities; lack of clarity on how beneficiaries and representatives are chosen; and fears that the collective Ogoni identity is being appropriated for private benefit.
Consequently, the group demanded that the leadership of the Ogoni Indigenous Contractors immediately publish the full list, with details such as names of contractors/companies, communities of origin, Local Government Areas, areas of competence and criteria for selection.
It also called on the NNPCL and ONSA to independently verify the credentials and Ogoni identity of all persons and companies presented as indigenous contractors before any contract is awarded, insisting that priority must be given to competent contractors from communities that have borne the brunt of environmental degradation.
“Ogoni people have suffered decades of environmental devastation. We cannot and will not allow the Ogoni identity to be used to cheat our people through secretive and lopsided processes,” the group said.
The group clarified that it is not opposed to indigenous participation in oil-related opportunities but is demanding fairness, inclusion and transparency in all processes involving public institutions.
It warned that continued secrecy and favouritism could deepen mistrust and heighten tension among stakeholders.
“Given Ogoni’s painful history, transparency must be non-negotiable,” the statement added, urging all institutions involved in the planned resumption to prevent any individual or committee from appropriating the collective identity of Ogoni to determine beneficiaries behind closed doors.
The statement was copied to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, the National Security Adviser, the President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), the leadership of KAGOTE and the Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee.
