Niger Delta youths have protested the continued refusal of International Oil Companies (IOCs) to relocate their corporate headquarters to areas of their operations.
They said the action of the multi-national corporations was at variance with a presidential directive issued by Acting President Yemi Osibanjo during his peace tour of the Niger Delta region.
The youths under the aegis of Pan Niger Youth Leadership Forum (PANDYLF), which accused the multi-national operators of arrogance, also said that their actions amounted to disregard for the presidency.
The National President of the forum Famous Daunemigha, told reporters yesterday in Abuja that the development is unacceptable.
“Enough of this show of arrogance by oil producing companies. They cannot continue to have their head offices located outside of where their operations are taking place. This is unacceptable to us the youths in the region,” he said.
He said the issue of youth restiveness in the region should not be yardstick or excuse for the oil companies not to relocate to the region, arguing that the issue of restiveness was something that just started in the region and would be nip in the bud.
“He was Acting President and if the President has made pronouncement to the IOCs, to relocate their headquarters, I think that that pronouncement should be respected by the various operating companies in the Niger Delta.And even our constitution also made a provision that the oil companies should have their headquarters operating around the areas they are operating in and I think that is also very important,” he said.
On the security, Daunemigha, who was also a former Deputy President of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), said the youths would not only support, but would provide necessary support in the area of security for the oil multinationals relocating their headquarters to the region.
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