Consortiums have been cautioned by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) not to acquire Shell Petroleum Development Company’s onshore assets in the Niger Delta region without the involvement of indigenous businesses and stakeholders, especially those in the Ijaw communities.
The IYC said that Shell is now violating Nigeria’s Local Content Act by working with the Federal Government of Nigeria and its regulatory bodies to sell its onshore assets in the Niger Delta region.
The IYC warned that attempts to boycott the Ijaw people in the procurement process for Shell Onshore Assets will be vehemently resisted by all means.
At a global press conference in Effurun, Delta State’s Uvwie Local Government Area, the IYC issued the warning. Spokesman Binebai Yerin Prince would read the statement.
“We strongly advise that these consortiums stay clear of this erroneous process midwifed by Shell to further embolden the mystery of the respective host communities that Shell is famous for their underdevelopment, the destruction of their environment and abuse of stakeholders for the over 70 years of Shell’s oil and gas exploration in the Niger Delta.”
Princewill who was flanked by Freedom Atigbi and Maebuye Nangi, IYC Deputy President and Secretary-General, respectively, said, “Without mincing words, IYC is daring Shell and its collaborators to go on with this process without involving the local people whose areas these Onshore Assets are located and watch the grave negative impact these will cost the oil and gas industry.”
The IYC said, “Ijaw people cannot continue to be treated as slaves by eating crumbs. Any attempt to continue to treat our people as second-class citizens in this process will meet stiff resistance by any means necessary.”
“It is an insult to the sensibility of the Niger Delta stakeholders, particularly the Ijaw people, after many years of agitation for resource control which has led to the loss of several lives and properties, Shell in its usual antics wants to re-sign our people into modern-modern day slavery in the oil and gas industry that has been the live wire of the Nigerian economy.
“More worrisome is the fact that this attempt is made in an era where the Ijaw nation is laced with capable and competent stakeholders that can afford some of these assets.”
The IYC urged the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu to quickly swing into action by advising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu right.
“We make bold to say until our people are involved and given the first right of refusal to participate, we will advise the consortiums not to throw their money into the buying process as it will amount to a total waste of resources.”
