The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, has again urged the federal government to implement its presidential directive to international oil companies, IOCs to relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region.
The National President of the body, Mr. Eric Omare in a statement in Warri said it was unfortunate that several months after Vice President Yemi Osibanjo gave the order after he visited the region as Acting President nothing had been done.
“ IYC has decried the lukewarm attitude of the federal government towards the handling of the demands of the Niger Delta people. It would be recalled that at the peak of the renewed Niger Delta hostilities spearheaded by the Niger Delta Avengers, the federal government made far-reaching promises including the relocation of the corporate headquarters of multinational oil companies to the Niger Delta region. However, we note with dismay that this very sensitive presidential pronouncement which was made by the Acting President Yemi Osinbnajo is almost going the way of previous promises by the federal government to the Niger Delta people”, he said.
Omare also lamented the slow pace of work on the East-West road and similar federal government projects in the region, blaming poor funding for the situation.
While thanking the federal government for the take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko, Delta state, Omare also called for construction work to resume at the permanent site of the university.
“However, the IYC commend the federal government for fulfilling its promise to kick-start academic activities at the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State. As at the time of issuing this statement, more than two hundred pioneer students have resumed academic activities at the university.
We commend this display of good faith by the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari and call on him to remobilize contractors who were working at the permanent site of the university to go back to the site”, he said.
“IYC has decried the lukewarm attitude of the federal government towards the handling of the demands of the Niger Delta people. It would be recalled that at the peak of the renewed Niger Delta hostilities spearheaded by the Niger Delta Avengers, the federal government made far-reaching promises including the relocation of the corporate headquarters of multinational oil companies to the Niger Delta region. However, we note with dismay that this very sensitive presidential pronouncement which was made by the Acting President Yemi Osinbnajo is almost going the way of previous promises by the federal government to the Niger Delta people.
We also note that key projects that were ongoing in the Niger Delta region have been relegated to the background such as the deliberate non-funding of the East-West Road by the federal government despite the assertion of increased capital funding of projects. The key demand of the Niger Delta people for a federalism where
It would be recalled that construction activities were massively ongoing at the permanent site of the university before they were put on hold because of purported EFCC investigations. Now that the university has started academic activities, the IYC strongly urge the former Governor Timipre Sylva led maritime university governing council to facilitate the recommencement of construction activities at the permanent site.
The IYC urged that the charges against Chief Government Ekpemupolo by the federal government in relation to the sale of the temporary site of the Maritime University should be dropped. It amounts to great injustice for the federal government to be using the former Mekadive Diving School, Kurutie, Delta State which NIMASA acquired from High Chief Ekpemupolo as kick-off campus of the maritime university and at the same time trying High Chief Ekpemupolo in court for the sale of the same property.”
