Some youth groups from Ogoniland and the South-South region staged a protest in Port Harcourt on Monday, accusing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of failing to support the Federal University of Environment and Technology, Saakpenwa in Rivers State.
The demonstrators, operating under the banners of the Ogoni Youths Development Initiative and the South-South Youths Initiative, marched through major streets of the city, demanding immediate funding for the institution, popularly known as FUET.
The protest followed an earlier warning issued by the Global President of the Ogoni Youths Development Initiative, Imeabe Saviour, who last week gave NNPCL a seven-day ultimatum to comply with a directive by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to provide financial support for the university.
During the protest, Saviour alleged that the company had ignored the presidential directive and failed to respond to previous calls for intervention. Protesters carried placards with messages such as “NNPCL Fund Our Ogoni University,” “Pay FUET Contractors,” and “Adhere to the President’s Directive.”
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He noted that the Federal Government established the university on February 3, 2025, and mandated NNPCL to support its take-off and development. However, he claimed that the delay in funding has slowed down the construction of essential facilities, leaving students without adequate lecture halls, laboratories, and hostel accommodation.
Saviour also said contractors who began work on the university projects after receiving instructions had not been paid, leaving them struggling after securing loans to carry out the jobs.
According to him, the institution was created as part of the Federal Government’s confidence-building measures linked to discussions about the possible resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
He warned that the protest was only the beginning, adding that the groups may extend their demonstration to the NNPCL headquarters in Abuja if their demands are not addressed.
Responding to the protesters, an official of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in Port Harcourt, Mfon Ati, urged the group to formally follow up on their earlier letter to NNPCL in Abuja.
Ati commended the protesters for maintaining peace and encouraged them to continue engaging the authorities through official channels while awaiting a response.
