Ogoni youths have staged a mass protest in Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoniland, demanding a transparent, inclusive and accountable process for the proposed resumption of oil production in the area.
The protesters are calling for the immediate disbandment and reconstitution of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC), arguing that the ongoing dialogue process requires a review to accommodate wider stakeholder participation.
They also demand that Ogoni youths and other relevant stakeholders should have greater involvement in decisions concerning the proposed resumption of oil exploration.
A major issue raised during the protest was employment opportunities with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.
The youths questioned the reported allocation of forty employment slots to Ogoni youths, demanding a more substantial and transparent employment arrangement.
Earlier demands by Ogoni youth groups had called for an increase in the reported forty slots to five hundred direct employment opportunities in NNPCL and its subsidiaries.
The protesters further maintained that any dialogue on oil resumption must adequately reflect the interests, aspirations and concerns of the Ogoni people.
The protest comes amid disagreements among Ogoni stakeholders over the proposed resumption of oil production, as well as concerns surrounding the structure and conduct of the dialogue process.
The Ogoni youths say transparency, inclusiveness and accountability must remain central to any process leading to the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
