The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has washed its hands off allegations that it influenced the selection of 40 employment slots Ogoni people at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) as part of the ongoing process for resumption of oil production in the area.

The ODC maintains that it had no role in the recruitment process, the committee, which is engaging the Federal Government on the resumption of oil and gas operations in Ogoniland, also denied allegations that it was awarded contracts or received funds from the Federal Government.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, the ODC Chairman, Prof. Don Baridam, described the statements attributed to KAGOTE and other groups as false and misleading.

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He said the employment opportunities were among the confidence-building measures proposed by the Ogoni delegation to the Federal Government, but stressed that the ODC neither selected nor recruited the beneficiaries.

According to Baridam, NNPC Ltd drew the successful candidates from a pool of qualified Ogoni applicants already in its recruitment database, rather than from nominations made by the committee.

He said, “When the issue of employment was raised, NNPC Ltd made it clear that it would not compromise its established professional and recruitment standards.

“The company informed us that it already had in its recruitment database several qualified Ogoni sons and daughters who had previously applied, undergone its recruitment processes and performed well.”

He acknowledged that some ODC members submitted names of persons they wanted for employment, but said those nominations did not determine the outcome.

He said, “The recruitment and selection process did not pass through the ODC, nor did the ODC determine who was employed.”

He added that suggestions that the committee or its facilitators distributed the jobs as patronage were false.

The ODC also dismissed claims that it was involved in awarding or allocating government and NNPC Ltd contracts.

Baridam said contract awards were outside the committee’s mandate and that it lacked the authority or machinery to influence such decisions.

“At no time did the ODC award, allocate, distribute or otherwise become involved in contracts,” he said.

On reports of renewed oil activities in Ogoniland, the committee said it had no information indicating that oil and gas production had resumed under the Ogoni re-entry programme.

Baridam added that NNPC Ltd had said it was unaware of the alleged oil-rig operations, but said investigations into the reported activities in Alesa-Eleme were ongoing.

The committee also denied receiving any budget, grant or other funds from the Federal Government, describing its participation in the dialogue process as a sacrifice and service to the Ogoni people.

On the proposed creation of Bori State, Baridam said state creation remained a key demand presented to the Federal Government.

He said the committee had established a tactical sub-committee to work on the modalities, while acknowledging that the process must follow constitutional procedures.

Baridam said the dialogue process had advanced to efforts to harmonise outstanding issues arising from the ODC report, the Federal Government’s response and a technical committee’s report.

He said a Joint harmonization committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Government and Ogoni, was being considered to develop an interim memorandum of understanding on areas of agreement.

The ODC appealed to KAGOTE and other Ogoni stakeholders to use available channels for constructive engagement, saying it remained open to contributions that could strengthen the dialogue process and advance peace, environmental restoration and development in Ogoniland.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has questioned the decision of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to invite social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, as a panelist at its ongoing annual conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Falana expressed his concerns while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, arguing that discussions on national security at the NBA conference should feature individuals with established professional experience in Nigeria’s security architecture.

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VeryDarkMan was a panelist at the 66th Annual General Conference of the NBA on Tuesday during a session titled, “Known Gunmen or Unknown Gunmen.”

The social media personality spoke about his experiences reporting insecurity and visiting communities affected by killings and other attacks.

His appearance at the conference has generated debate among lawyers and other commentators, with some questioning the NBA’s decision and others defending the invitation.

Reacting to the development, Falana said the NBA had historically used its conferences to expose lawyers to individuals with proven expertise and experience.

“In those days, the NBA brought individuals who had paid their dues, who were coming to engage lawyers intellectually. We wanted to learn from them and so none of our conferences was a circus show in the past,” he said.

The human rights lawyer maintained that anyone invited to discuss national security should have made demonstrable contributions to the sector.

“So, if you are bringing in an expert to discuss the security of the country, either from the private or public sector, such an individual must have contributed to the security architecture of the country,” Falana said.

“But when you bring people who have nothing to do with the security of the country, there are problems.”

Falana further compared the NBA’s decision to inviting someone without relevant professional experience to speak to journalists about press freedom.

“It’s like talking about media freedom, press freedom. You are going to bring practitioners in that field, either in academics or in the newsroom,” he said.

“But to just go and bring somebody from nowhere to come and entertain you, there are problems with that.”

VeryDarkMan’s security allegation
During the NBA panel discussion, VeryDarkMan alleged that some police officers stationed at checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and pass information about their identities and movements to kidnappers.

According to him, such information is subsequently used to facilitate abductions for ransom.

The Nigeria Police Force, however, rejected the allegation, describing it as unsubstantiated and potentially damaging to the reputation of the institution.

The police challenged VeryDarkMan to provide evidence to support his claim, stating that any credible information supplied would be investigated.

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has expressed sadness over the death of its former President, Dotun Oladipo, publisher of The Eagle Online.

Oladipo died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the age of 56.

He was President of GOCOP from 2017 to 2021 and was one of the publishers who helped shape the Guild in its early years.

His death is a loss to GOCOP and the wider Nigerian media community.

Oladipo came into online publishing with years of experience in the traditional media. He had worked as a journalist and editor before moving into digital publishing and bringing that experience to The Eagle Online.

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At a time when online news publishing was still developing in Nigeria, he was among those who saw the need for publishers to come together, share ideas and build a stronger professional community.

That was also the period when GOCOP was growing from an association of online publishers into an organisation with a clear identity and a growing presence in the Nigerian media industry.

As President between 2017 and 2021, Oladipo devoted considerable time to the affairs of the Guild. He represented GOCOP at different engagements and worked with members as the organisation dealt with the opportunities and challenges that came with the rapid growth of online publishing.

GOCOP President, Danlami Nmodu, said Oladipo’s death was painful for the Guild.

“Dotun played an important role in the development of GOCOP. He led the Guild for four years at a time when there was still a lot of work to be done to establish online publishers as an important part of the media. His contribution will always be remembered,” Nmodu said.

He said Oladipo brought his experience as a journalist and publisher to the leadership of the Guild.

“Dotun understood journalism and he understood the business of publishing. He was passionate about the place of online media in Nigeria and he gave his time to the growth of the Guild. We are saddened by his passing,” Nmodu said.

Oladipo’s involvement in journalism began long before the emergence of online publishing as a major source of news in Nigeria. His career in the mainstream media gave him a grounding in reporting, editing and newsroom management.

He later became publisher of The Eagle Online, joining a group of journalists and publishers who moved into the digital space as the internet changed the way Nigerians received and shared news.

His years in GOCOP coincided with a period of rapid growth in online publishing. More news platforms were emerging, social media was changing the way stories reached readers, and online publishers were becoming increasingly important to the Nigerian media industry.

GOCOP said Oladipo’s contribution should be seen against this background.

The Guild also remembered him as a colleague who maintained relationships with publishers across the country and took an active interest in the affairs of the organisation even after leaving office.

GOCOP extended its condolences to Oladipo’s family, the management and staff of The Eagle Online, and his friends and colleagues in the media industry.

The Guild said it would work with his family and associates on plans to honour his memory.