Ogoni Activist Calls Out Dialogue Facilitators, Reiterates Core Conditions for Discussion in Oil Resumption Negotiations

The Secretary-General of African Roller State Activism, ARSA, and a prominent advocate and activist primarily involved in the Ogoni struggle in Rivers State, Nigeria, Goodluck Leelee, has sent a strong, worded message to the Ogoni oil resumption negotiators headed by the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Olaka Nwogu.

In a statement shared in various Ogoni groups on Facebook on Monday, October 19, 2026, Leelee, whose work usually centres around campaigning for environmental justice, demanding accountability from HYPREP, upholding the Ogoni Bill of Rights, and resisting premature oil resumption without proper community restitution, grew hot with the dialogue actors.

“Senator Olaka Johnson Nwogu, your public statements and the position of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) negotiators have raised serious concerns about the direction of the Ogoni struggle for justice, political autonomy, environmental protection, and self-determination,” the statement began.

He expressed worry over what he described as a disturbing level of political backwardness, negligence, and disregard for the people’s aspirations and interests being witnessed from those who claim to represent them, noting that the discussions surrounding oil resumption usually leave behind deep concerns regarding the future of Ogoniland.

According to him, it has become obvious that some political interests are more concerned about creating a favourable condition for oil activities to resume than securing meaningful or lasting solutions to the historical injustices suffered by the Ogoni people.

“How can we speak about oil resumption in Ogoniland while the demand for Bori State creation remains unresolved? How can political leaders expect the Ogoni people to trust a negotiation process if the fundamental demands that have defined our struggle for decades are not treated as priorities?” he queried.

The activist further raised the issue of accountability on the part of Ogoni representatives on the dialogue, noting that public trust is earned through transparency, accountability, and demonstrable commitment to the people.

He equally noted that the Ogoni struggle must never be reduced to a campaign for oil resumption, adding that It is a struggle for dignity, justice, environmental restoration, political representation, economic opportunity, and the protection of the fundamental rights of the people.

“The ODC was expected to provide a credible platform for addressing the Ogoni question. It must not become a mechanism through which the interests of government, oil companies, or political elites are placed above the interests of ordinary Ogoni people,” Leelee stressed.

Leelee enumerated other core and long-standing demands of the Ogoni people to include the reported employment arrangements involving NNPCL and the allocation of 40 job slots, the reported pipeline digging and related activities in parts of Eleme and Tai LGAs, and how the authorities wish to address the demands outlined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights.

He noted, moreover, that Ogoni communities deserve to know what is going on regarding a reentry to their embattled resource left untapped for more than three decades, requesting that the ODC facilitators and other actors to publicly clarify the purpose, authorisation, environmental safeguards, and legal status of these activities.

“To our Ogoni political leaders, traditional institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups, and the entire Ogoni population: let us not allow our collective struggle to be reduced to personal benefits, political calculations, or the interests of powerful institutions.

“No political negotiation should silence the Ogoni Bill of Rights. No employment arrangement should replace our collective demands. No promise of oil revenue should make us forget environmental devastation, historical injustice, and the need for political autonomy,” the statement declared.