The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has said that it will no longer condone incessant gas flaring and lackadaisical practices of International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the Niger Delta region.
The President of the Council, Dr. Theophilus Alaye, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, when he took over the mantle of leadership of the council from the immediate past president, Deacon Peter Igbifa.
DAILY POST reports that the House of Representatives had at an investigative hearing on Monday vowed to recover the sum of over $9 billion gas flaring fines imposed by the Federal Government on erring local and foreign oil and gas companies.
Alaye, in a statement issued Tuesday, said gas flaring and venting has been a significant environmental, economic, health and social concern for people of the region for many years.
He said his mandate as the 9th president of the Ijaw nation was to promote, defend and demand justice for the people.
The President stated: “We are in an era where policies of the government are anti-Ijaw and undermines our collective contribution to national sustainable development.
“As president of the Council, I will agitate for resource control beyond oil and gas. We have been undermined for too long.
“It is abysmal when our rich water bodies are abandoned, and we see ship berths in Lagos, when we have the best seaport in West Africa. What we keep hearing is that our environment is not safe enough, this must stop under my watch as president of council as we demand activation of our seaport.
“I must state it clearly that we will no longer condone incessant gas flaring and lackadaisical practices of the IOCs that has cost us a lot as a people. We shall strive to maintain the stability in council and the Ijaw nation under my leadership.”
The President urged the government to explore areas where the region has competitive advantage to ameliorate the uncontrollable suffering of the people.
“In my government, political players in the Niger Delta region must up their game in the discharge of their political duties to project the concerns of the region as we shall be asking questions of stewardship and contributions to the development of the region,” Theophilus stated.
Earlier, the immediate President, Igbifa, urged Theophilus to be steadfast and avoid unnecessary distraction in his commitment to set the Council on the right path.
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