Cabals frustrating plans to relocate IOCs to Niger Delta, alleges IYC

The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) yesterday accused a northern ‘cabals’ in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari of frustrating efforts by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to make International Oil Companies (IOCs) move their headquarters back to the Niger Delta region.

Speaking with our correspondent in Yenagoa, the Central Zonal Chairman of the Ijaw youths worldwide, Tare Porri, warned that failure by the IOCs to relocate to where they exploit crude oil for the country’s sustainability would be counter-productive, as they may not be allowed to operate.

He also called on the multinational oil companies operating within the zone to relocate their headquarters if they want to continue operating in the area.

He said: “The cabals are frustrating the process because they know what that means. They don’t want it to happen, but we are saying in this central zone, if they refuse to come, they should know that they cannot operate here anymore.

“In this central zone under our leadership, no multinational will operate if they refuse to come here. We are not going to Lagos or Abuja, we are not going anywhere, let them come. This environment is good for them to take and siphon our oil, but in doing business here, they say there is insecurity.”

Porri lamented that despite former President Goodluck Jonathan’s reign, the yearnings and aspirations of Ijaw nation have yet to be met by the Nigerian state.

He noted that the most of the pipelines crisscrossing the entire zone had expired and called the oil companies to replace them in the interest of peace and security.

‘’Most of the explosion, most of the things that happen in the environment are not caused by Ijaw youths. Ijaw youths are law abiding, they are not fighters and they are hardworking.

‘’All the multinational oil companies operating in our zone should please, as a matter of urgency, commence process of replacing all the pipelines across the zone that have expired, as we will no longer tolerate corrosion, explosion and equipment failure.”