IYC Threatens Shutdown of NNPCL, Oil Activities over Alleged Sack of Indigenes

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has threatened to shut down the Nigerian National Company Limited (NNPCL) and oil activities across the country over an alleged sack of some indigenes by federal government owned company.

The group said that it would resist any move to sack Ijaws in employ of NNPCL with an attempt to replace them with northerners and Yorubas.

The IYC Worldwide, an umbrella body covering all Ijaws across the country and abroad, in a statement that was signed by its Spokesperson, Mr. Binebai Yerin Prince, said that it is aware, through newspaper publications and other broadcast outlets, about the forceful sack of its kinsmen and women in NNPCL over cooked and manipulated retirement.

“The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, an umbrella body covering all Ijaw Youths in Nigeria and across the world have read on the pages of newspapers and other broadcast outlets in Nigeria weeks ago the purported sack of Ijaw sons and daughters in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited over cooked and manipulated story of retirement.

“This forceful retirement of Ijaws in NNPCL is something that we will resist with the last drop of our blood. We see this as an attempt to exclude the Ijaws from the scheme of things and a well hatched plot to only employ northerners and Yorubas in NNPCL,” it stated.

The IYC said that though Ijaws love Nigeria as a country and would be ready to do all within its powers for a united one Nigeria, it will however not accept any attempt to unjustly undo sons and daughters of Ijaws occupying such sensitive offices in the Nigerian state, adding that “it is the promise of IYC that we will not allow this injustice to fester.

“The Ijaws cannot continue to suffer the brunt of oil and gas exploration activities in Niger Delta and could be reduced and prevented by the Federal Government of Nigeria by not allowing their sons to have a say in the oil sector. We cannot be punished as a people for feeding the country.

“However, it is in the best interest of the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Bola Tinubu to direct whoever that is in charge to urgently reinstate Ijaws that were sacked recently in the NNPCL without any offence. This country belongs to all of us,” it stated.

The IYC called for their urgent reinstatement in the best interest of Nigeria, noting that anything other than this within few days from now would lead to total shutdown of NNPCL activities across the country.

Noting that Nigeria is a multiethnic nation, it said whatever the federal government is doing must be a true reflection of federal character, stressing that “for obvious reasons, the NNPCL is gradually becoming a northern empire”.

The IYC also vowed to resist the purported buying of AGIP Oil Company by OANDO without making it public for qualified Ijaws and Niger Deltans to bid for its takeover.

“Before now, the Italian company (AGIP) has contributed a lot for the Ijaw people and her communities via its cooperate social responsibility policy. AGIP is like the life wire of our people. The Ijaws and Niger Deltans must be given the opportunity to participate fully in the oil industry.

“The assurance is that, if these issues are not reversed quickly as soon as possible, the entire Niger Delta community will be left with no other choice but to shutdown NNPCL and other oil activities in the country.

“It is important to note that this warning is to NNPCL and its subsidiary companies operating in the Niger Delta region. It is our call that the issues raised be addressed urgently beginning from the day of this publication” it added.