Dekor Calls for Collective Action Against Cultism, Insecurity Ahead of 2027 Elections

The Member Representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dumnamene Dekor, has called for collective efforts to tackle cultism and other forms of criminality in Ogoniland.

The Chairman, Committee on Host Communities in the House of Representatives made the call while speaking to journalists in Khana LGA ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dekor condemned the involvement of young people in cultism and drug-related activities, warning that such practices often lead to violence and the killing of innocent citizens. He described cultism as illegal and destructive, stressing that it was not an association any responsible individual should aspire to join.

“Let me say something here, it is a common belief that all politicians are into gunrunning and all of that, and I stand to be corrected, I am one that is not, I am one because I will never get involved in cultism. But let me also say it, cultism is not anything any sane and normal human being should get involved in because you will die, it is illegal, it’s something that is very unfortunate. Once they get into drugs and get into cultism, the result you find is that they end up killing innocent people.”

The federal lawmaker said he had consistently advocated for people involved in cultism to renounce the practice. He identified limited access to quality education and the growing number of out-of-school children in some communities as factors contributing to youth involvement in criminal activities.

“Most of the time, the reason is that we are unable to have access to good education. In most of the communities, many of the children are not going to school, so they look the other way to see what, maybe that’s what those who involve in all of that are doing and they want to get attached.”

Dekor, however, expressed optimism about the future of Ogoniland, urging the people to remain hopeful and work towards a better future beyond the challenges of the past.

“We should be hopeful, hopeful because Ogoni will not remain this way, hopeful because things are going to change. No matter how they do it, no matter how we see it, there is going to be a time and a moment when we’ll have to forget our past and accept our present to determine a better future. When you hear about what has happened to us as a people, most times you will weep, but that weeping should be able to end, and it will end when all of us here decide that it will end. And I can guarantee us that it will soon end.”

On the proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, the lawmaker said any re-entry process must guarantee shared prosperity and deliver tangible benefits to ordinary Ogoni people, rather than concentrating its gains in the hands of political elites. He questioned the benefits of oil resumption to community members who are excluded from negotiations and decision-making processes, insisting that the interest of every Ogoni son and daughter must be adequately represented.

“The kind of oil resumption I as an individual will want is when there is prosperity for all, when it is not for the elites, not for those of us who sit on that table to discuss with them, but for those who don’t have the opportunity to to sit on that table, what will be their benefits?

That is the kind of re-entry we’re talking about, not the one that benefits me. Because the people gave me the mandate, and I’m speaking for them, then I will sit down there and discuss what concerns Dum Dekor and his family. We should talk about what concerns every Ogoni son and daughter, that’s where I stand, and we’re making progress.”

Dekor maintained that oil resumption should not be about the personal interests of political representatives but about securing economic opportunities and improved living conditions for the entire Ogoni people. He said progress was being made towards achieving an inclusive approach to oil resumption, reaffirming his commitment to speaking for the collective interest of his constituents.