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By Mark Lenu
The Ogoni Association of Persons Living with Disabilities (OGAPWD) is demanding to be included in the ongoing dialogue between the Ogonis and the Federal Government which is aimed at resuming oil exploration in Ogoniland.
At a press conference organised by the OGAPWD in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the President-General and Founder of the group. Comr. Baridapdoo Joy Ngo, was quoted as saying that: “We commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for initiating dialogue on the potential resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
“We welcome every genuine effort to resolve the longstanding Ogoni question, restore economic activity, and create a pathway toward peace, justice, environmental recovery, and sustainable development.
“However, we remind the Federal Government, the Ogoni Dialogue and Consultation (ODC), oil industry operators, and all stakeholders that a dialogue excluding persons living with disabilities cannot claim to speak for the entire Ogoni people.
“We are not opposed to dialogue. We are not opposed to development. We do not oppose the responsible and lawful resumption of oil production.
“We oppose exclusion, discrimination, injustice, and decisions that determine our future without our participation.
“We ask a simple but fundamental question: If the future of Ogoniland is being negotiated, why are the voices of Ogoni persons living with disabilities missing from the negotiating table?
“Are we not Ogoni? Do we not breathe the same polluted air, drink the same water, walk the same endangered land, and suffer the same consequences of decades of environmental degradation?
“Our disabilities do not cancel our identity. Our vulnerabilities do not diminish our rights. And our silence in previous negotiations must never be mistaken for consent to our continued exclusion.
“In the interest of justice, peace, transparency, and the future of Ogoniland, OGAPWD formally demands the following:
“(1) We call on the leadership of the Ogoni Dialogue and Consultation (ODC) to immediately include duly nominated OGAPWD delegates in its dialogue structure and to ensure their meaningful participation in relevant committees, consultations, and deliberations.
“Their inclusion must not be tokenistic. They must be able to contribute to decisions on oil resumption, employment, environmental remediation, community development, security, and other matters affecting persons with disabilities.
“We further request accessible meeting arrangements and the communication support necessary to enable participants with disabilities to participate effectively.
“(2) We call on the Federal Government to direct the appropriate authorities, including NNPC Limited, to review disability inclusion in the relevant Ogoni recruitment process for the 40 NNPC employment positions and to take concrete steps to ensure compliance with applicable disability employment provisions.
“We need at least a 5% employment quota from the 40 NNPC employment positions given to Ogoni under the Confidence Building Measures (CBM).
“We request that, within fifteen (15) days from 12 October 2026, NNPC Limited should publicly respond to OGAPWD’s concerns, disclose relevant information about disability inclusion in the recruitment exercise to the extent permitted by law, and present a clear, time-bound plan to address any identified shortcomings.
“We seek the implementation of the applicable minimum five percent employment requirement under the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, within its lawful scope, through transparent recruitment and appropriate reasonable accommodation.
“We further request a formal meeting between NNPC Limited and OGAPWD to discuss practical steps to ensure that qualified persons living with disabilities are not excluded from employment opportunities connected with Ogoniland.
“Note, jf our demands are ignored, OGAPWD reserves the right to mobilise its members and pursue peaceful, lawful protests and other legitimate civic actions to draw attention to the issue.
“Our preference is dialogue, not confrontation; resolution, not hostility. But our commitment to peaceful engagement must not be interpreted as an acceptance of continued neglect.
“(3) We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to openly and sincerely address the demand for Bori State, including support for the appropriate constitutional process.
“We call for an inclusive framework in which all relevant stakeholders, including persons with disabilities, can discuss Ogoniland’s political future.
“(4) We appeal to Ogoni traditional rulers, political leaders, youth leaders, community development organisations, oil industry operators, and other stakeholders to make disability inclusion a practical requirement across employment, skills acquisition, business support, contracting, educational opportunities, and community development programs.
“Persons living with disabilities must not be remembered only when assistance is distributed. We must be included in designing opportunities, preparing budgets, and selecting beneficiaries.
“We call for transparent, accessible, and non-discriminatory processes that enable qualified and eligible persons living with disabilities to benefit from development initiatives in Ogoniland.
“(5) We request formal responses from the ODC leadership, the Federal Government, and NNPC Limited regarding the concerns raised in this statement.
“We also request a consultation with OGAPWD representatives to discuss practical measures to address our exclusion and ensure that any framework emerging from the Ogoni dialogue reflects disability inclusion.
“We believe that direct engagement can prevent unnecessary tension, build trust, and demonstrate that the institutions involved are willing to listen to all sections of the Ogoni community.
