By Festus Ahon

ASABA—The member representing Warri South-West state constituency in Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Daniel Mayuku, has called on the Federal Government to enforce its directive on oil companies operating in the Niger Delta to relocate their headquarters to their states of operations.

Mayuku,  while fielding questions from newsmen in Asaba, said if enforced, the relocation would mitigate all the hostilities in the Niger Delta region.

“Therefore, the  Federal Government should follow up the directive by ensuring that the international oil companies, particularly Chevron Nigeria Limited,  do not waste further time to do the needful by moving their operational headquarters to the states where they are exploring and exploiting oil and gas.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to take a step further by prevailing on the international oil companies not to delay the relocation of their headquarters to their states of operations as many of them in their usual ways would want to employ delay tactics until the issue was forgotten,” he said.

The lawmaker recalled that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had, at a town hall meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during his continuation visits to states of the Niger Delta region to dialogue with stakeholders, directed the oil companies to relocate their headquarters to their states of operations.

“As I speak, there is no information on any of them making arrangements to move and the development has dampened the euphoria that greeted the directive,” he added.

Saying that the relocation would give the people a great sense of belonging, Mayuku added: “Confidence building and trust is key to promotion of peace and security in the Niger Delta region.”

He commended the peace building process of the Federal Government in the Niger Delta, saying that “stability in the region is not negotiable.”