N-Delta youths protest IOCs’ refusal to relocate

By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA—YOUTHS in the Niger Delta region have protested the continued refusal of International Oil Companies, IOCs, to relocate their corporate headquarters to areas of their operations.

The youths said that the action of the multi-national corporations was in defiance of the presidential directive issued to them by acting President Yemi Osibanjo during his peace tour of the Niger Delta region.

Operating under the aegis of Pan Niger Youth Leadership Forum, PANDYLF, the youths, who accused the multi-national corporations of arrogance, argued that their actions amounted to disregard of the highest constituted authority, the presidency, which issued the relocation order.

Addressing newsmen,  yesterday, in Abuja, National President of PANDYLF, Mr. Famous Daunemigha, expressed concern over the development, which  he described as “unacceptable.”

Daunemigha, while demanding the immediate relocation of the corporate headquarters of the oil companies to the Niger Delta, said: “Enough of this show of arrogance by oil producing companies. They cannot continue to have their head offices located outside where their operations are taking place. This is unacceptable to us the youths in the region.”

He said that the issue of youth restiveness in the region should not be the yardstick or excuse for the oil companies not to relocate to the region, arguing that the issue of restiveness was something that just started in the region and would be nipped in the bud.

He said: “I want to still remind Nigerians that when the Vice President came to the Niger Delta, he didn’t come in the capacity of the Vice President, he came as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“He was the acting President and if the President has made a pronouncement to the IOCs to relocate their headquarters, I think that the pronouncement should be respected by all the operating companies in the Niger Delta.

“And even our constitution also made a provision that the oil companies should have their headquarters operating around the areas they are operating in and I think that is also very important.”

On security, Mr. Daunemigha, who was also a former Deputy President of Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, said the youths would not only support, but  provide necessary security for the  IOCs relocating their headquarters to the region.

Arguing the issue of insecurity was not peculiar to the region alone, he said,  “I think even in Abuja, there are security issues, were there not bombing in Abuja but now there are no more bombing in Abuja; even in Lagos State,  there are kidnapping issues, so there is no place that is 100 percent safe.

“Now let’s look at it critically, the oil companies cannot use that as an excuse, it is a flimsy excuse because first and foremost,  it was address that when the area was peaceful, they didn’t do the needful until the people took the laws into their hands and caused this insecurity that we are experiencing in the Niger Delta which is something that one shouldn’t encourage.

“First and foremost,  I expect the IOCs to say ‘yes,’ we will come back but assure us that you will make your environment safe for us to operate then the ball comes back to us.

“I will also support a peaceful environment for the IOCs to operate but an order had been given, they should relocate and if the environment is not safe for them to operate, they will have a good reason then it becomes our own problem we caused them to relocate. But now as far as I am concerned,  there is no militancy in the Niger Delta.”

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