IOCs’ Relocation: IYC Accuses Osinbajo Of Paying Lip Service, Issued 90-days Ultimatum For Presidential Directives To Be Enforce

Foremost Ijaw Youths Council On Monday accused Acting President Yemi Osinbajo of paying lip service to the agitation by the people of Niger Delta region to have the headquarters of the International Oil Companies, IOCs operating in the region relocated to their area of operations.

Factional President of IYC, Oweilaemi Rolland Pereotubor, a lawyer noted that multinational oil companies have not complied with the presidential directive handed down by the Acting President, Osinbajo in one of its visits to the Niger Delta region till date “because there is no visible attempts by the presidency to enforce the order.”

According to Pereotubor, ”Perhaps, Prof. Osinbajo was only trying to
play to the gallery politically.”

“We saw this in the parliamentary rascality exhibited by Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila on the floor of the House of Representatives when the matter came up some weeks ago. If the
Acting President merely played politics with the issue, we say it is too late because he has stirred the hornet’s nest.”

Irked by this development, IYC President said the group was giving the multinationals a 90-days ultimatum to start the process of moving back to the region, failure to which; “there will be dire consequences if they fail to heed to this ultimatum”.

The group threatened that by the end of the ultimatum, they would mobilise all out against the IOCs who they accused of not only ripping off the region of her oil wealth but also of revenue which ought to accrue to the states where they have oil facilities.

Pereotubor told newsmen at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Warri Correspondents’ Chapel, that monies that are supposed to accrue to the Niger Delta States and their people have been paid to Lagos States thus boosting their Internally Generated Revenues, IGR.

He noted that the relocation of multinational oil companies will not only boost the revenue base of the Niger Delta but will reduce youth restiveness in the region.

“After series of meetings, the IYC has resolved that as long as the Ijaw Nation still remains part of Nigeria, the oil companies MUST comply with the presidential order by relocating their headquarters to their operational bases in the Niger Delta within 90 days (three months) beginning from the 12th day of July 2017. We do not wish to
reiterate that failure to heed this ultimatum will have dire consequences.”

The IYC also warned that should Shell Development Company, SPDC that he
claimed had perfected plans to move from the region do so, “they should not be seen in the region doing any form of business.”

“They should move permanently and leave the environment for the people
and others willing to do business in the area. Shell should not be the device used by the Nigerian Government to play on the intelligence of the indigenous people. It will be quite unpalatable for them.”