The president of the apex Ijaw sociocultural organisation in the Niger Delta region, the Ijaw National Congress, INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, has called on the International Oil Companies, IOCs, to first clean up the polluted environment of their host communities before pulling out of the oil industry, while also advocating that new investors should relocate the headquarters of their businesses to the region.

The INC President made the call in a communique after a one-day dialogue with the theme, ‘The imperative for paradigm shift’ that was organised by the INC at its national headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Friday, January 19, 2024.

It would be recalled that the British oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, which had been operating in Nigeria for over 60 years, in a statement by its London office announced on Monday, January 15, that it had agreed to sell its Nigerian onshore oil assets to Renaissance—a consortium of four Nigerian companies and one foreign firm—for $2.4 billion. The companies are ND Western, Aradel Energy, First E&P, Waltersmith, and Petrolin, a Swiss company.

Speaking on the development, Prof. Okaba who lamented the deplorable poor state of Ijaw oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region noted that “very soon, Ijaw territories would become private estates of these local investors with international connections”

Im his words, “The Petroleum Industry Act is anti-Ijaw in all ramifications. The NNPC has been privatised by the Federal Government, and the International Oil Companies are divesting their oil assets around Ijaw land with local consortiums buying up shares.

“However, before the IOCs are allowed to pull out, they should be made to clean up the environmental mess they have created. The new investors should relocate their headquarters to Ijaw territories where they have their oil facilities,” the INC demanded.

Speaking further the INC President said, “Despite contributing over 60 per cent to oil and gas production, which is the country’s main source of economic survival, there are no major infrastructures across Ijaw land. For instance, the East-West Road that traverses Ijaw land is still deplorable and impassable, and several Ijaw communities remain inaccessible by road.

“Also, port facilities in Warri, Sapele, Port Harcourt, etc, that were hitherto economically viable are no longer in use. Proposed seaports at Agge and other towns in Ijaw territories are yet to exponentially impact the economic climate of Ijaw land. We also lack energy infrastructure and other drivers of social, economic and technological advancement.

“We are unhappy with lopsided political appointments at the federal level. We reject the deliberate Balkanisation of Ijaw territories into minorities to deny us the socio-economic and political advantages that are associated with majority status. We are resolute on this.”

Prof. Okaba also revealed that the Ijaw people would set up a think-tank to examine every aspect of their existence and provide strategic templates for the collective growth and development of the Ijaw Nation.

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