Oil companies operating in Bayelsa State should be prepared to contend with the anger of Ijaw youths. The youths have hinted of their plans to begin sustained protests against the multinationals over what they described as injustice done to them and their state.
But the companies can avert the looming protests, which are capable of disrupting oil production in the country. The Eastern Zone’s chapter of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide said their plans would only be suspended if the companies looked into their demands.
The newly elected Executive Council, IYC Central Zone issued the threats during its inauguration recently. The Chairman of the zone, Mr. Tare Porri and his executive members took oaths of office at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, the state capital.
The police, Department of State Security (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies sent detachments to secure the Ijaw House and forestall possible breakdown of law and order. The pioneer President of IYC, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, led other past leaders of the council to attend the occasion.
Also present were Ijaw leaders, a member of the state’s House of Assembly, Tonye Isenah, aides of the state’s Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, women and crowd of Ijaw youths. Porri spoke before the cheering crowd.
First, the chairman asked oil companies operating in the zone, which covers mainly Bayelsa, to relocate their headquarters to the state capital. He said it was unacceptable that the firms had refused to relocate despite the directive of the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to do so.
“We want to state here that all the multinational companies operating within the central zone of the Ijaw nation as a matter of urgency, if they are willing to do business in our environment, must relocate their headquarters back to the central zone.
“Myself and my team will stop at nothing to ensure that the multinational companies return their bases back to the central zone. Of course they have the Ijaw nation, the Ijaw youth central zone to contend with. We are ready to take them head on on this very serious matter”, Porri, whose point was applauded by the crowd said.
The chairman said the youths were worried about the age of oil pipelines buried in the criss-crossing the state. He alleged that most of the pipeline had expired and required urgent attention. According to him since the pipes were buried after the discovery of oil in commercial quantity at Oloibiri area of the state, they had not been changed.
He said expiration was the cause of most of the pipeline explosions and equipment failures causing oil spills in the environment. He said his council had the mandate to ensure replacement of corroded pipelines in the zone.
He said: “Since oil was first discovered in Bayelsa, in Oloibiri, the pipelines that are criss crossing the entire central zone which they used in taking first oil from our environment have all expired. Even human life has an expiring date much less equipment made by humans.
“Most of the explosion, most of the things that happen in the environment are not caused by Ijaw youths. Ijaw youths are law-abiding, Ijaw youths are not fighters and we are hardworking.
“I want to make bold to say that all the multinational oil companies that are again operating in our zone should as a matter of urgency commence the process of replacing all the expired pipelines across the central zone because we will no longer tolerate corrosion and equipment failure.
These oil companies have a way of creating contracts for non-indigenes, for non Bayelsans, for non central zone businessmen and part of the enjoyment in the oil industry is through the pipeline arrangement that is why they are deliberately causing explosion in our environment.
“So, my team and I are going to take on the multinational companies and ensure that all the expired pipelines in this central zone are replaced with immediate effect”.
The IYC boss also asked the management of oil companies operating in Bayelsa State to either create employments and other jobs for youths in the state or face unrest. He said the rising unemployment rate of the youths amidst oil exploration and exploitation was unacceptable.
Porri, said the youths were particularly concerned about an oil multinational, Aiteo Group, which took over from the Shell Petroleum Development Companies (SPDC) in Nembe Local Government Area of the state. He said their investigations revealed that the new oil firm had no indigene from the state in its payroll adding that most of the workers in the company were non-indigenes.
He said one of the mandates of his executive council was to get the youths engaged in meaningful ventures and urged the companies to help in ensuring the peace in the state and discouraging attacks on their facilities by getting youths in their host communities involved in their operations.
He said: “You are aware that Shell was operating in Nembe. Now Shell divested and sold its business to a private company, Alteo. But as I talk to you, Alteo which is a company that took over more than four flow stations from Shell has no Bayelsan in its employment data.
“Therefore as a zone, we are calling again on Alteo, that if they want to continue doing business in this zone, as a matter of urgency, they should engage our youths and give them jobs. Otherwise, we will not allow them to operate in Nembe”.
Porri further lamented that an oil well that would have been allocated to indigenous firms in Bayelsa when the zone occupied the Presidency, Ministry of Petroleum and the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) was given to a non-indigenous company.
He said if the oil well had been allocated to an indigene, it would helped to stimulate the local economy and boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
“An oil well that would have ordinarily been given to Bayelsa state governor, that would have improved the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base of this zone was given to an individual, a private firm.
“My message to whoever that has bought that oil well, Ijaw youths moving forward will not allow them to operate in that oil well until the property is returned”, he said.
Elders’ Advisory Council
The new chairman announced the establishment of the first Honourary Elders’ Advisory Council (HEAC) for IYC in the zone. He said the council was borne out of his desire to return the IYC to the grassroots in line with the Kaiama Declaration. He immediately appointed a former President of IYC, Mr. Mike Wenebowei to head the council.
“You are aware of the fact that the Kaiama Declaration, was founded on the principle of the Ogbos and then of course the clan structure. Therefore, I want to use this rare privilege as the chairman of the central zone to set up the first ever Honorary Elders Advisory Council.
“The mandate of the council is to collate data of all the founding fathers of the Ijaw youth council from central zone, all the chairmen, dead or alive, to enable us document their achievements and celebrate them,” he said.
