Delta Youths Kick against Planned Relocation of NNPC Subsidiary
Sylvester Idowu
The Delta State Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum, has kicked against alleged plan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to relocate one of its subsidiaries, the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) from Warri, Delta State to Abuja.
The forum therefore threatened to disrupt oil facilities if the government goes ahead with the plan which they stated was against the interest of the people of the Niger Delta region.
“The Delta State Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum is raising the alarm over a looming crisis and disturbance to oil facilities in the Niger Delta region over the plan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to relocate the head office of it’s subsidiary, the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) from Warri in Delta State to Abuja”, it warned in a statement.
The group, in the statement, signed by the President, IYC, Eric Omare; President, INYC, Agbateyiniro Weyinmi; President, INYA, Ovie Umuakpo; President, UYC, Festus Oviesiri; President, NYM, Benjamin Onwubolu and Emeke Asike of the Ika Youth Movement, said it was in possession of a leaked memo dated the April 3, 2019, and addressed to the GMD of NNPC seeking for approval to relocate the company’s head office from Warri to Abuja, based on alleged security concerns in Warri.
The group maintained that the alleged move was against the existing presidential directive that oil and gas companies in Nigeria should relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region.
The group wondered why an alleged cabal in the NNPC was determined to relocate the headquarters of the NGMC to Abuja, despite the fact that the gas being marketed was produced in Delta State and its environs.
They expressed their determination to resist, “the evil plan by the NNPC top management,” warning that they cannot guarantee peaceful atmosphere for companies to operate in Delta State if the evil plan is carried out.
They wondered why Delta State would not be good enough to host the headquarters of a company but was good enough to be the highest oil and gas producing states and thereby contributing substantially to the nation’s economy.