By Emma Amaize

WARRI—THE Itsekiri Progress Club, Warri, Delta State, weekend, condemned the recent decision of the House of Representatives turning down the motion calling on oil and gas companies in Nigeria, particularly the upstream operators, to relocate their administrative headquarters to the areas of their operations, describing the decision as baseless and provocative.

House of Representatives

Secretary of the club, Mr. Godwin Okotie, who spoke to reporters in Warri, Delta State, said: “We hope that it is not the intention of members to stir a new round of crisis in the region. They should avoid leaving Nigerians in doubt as to whose interest they are serving in this matter. Is it that of Nigeria or the oil companies?

“One of the main reasons for turning down the motion as stated by the Majority Leader of the House, is the so-called insecurity in the Niger Delta. It is double standard to talk about insecurity when it concerns the location of administrative headquarters of the oil majors, and then keep silent as if the same so- called insecurity does not exist when it concerns the operational bases of the companies.”

“Perhaps, all members of the House, who keyed into the argument of insecurity need to be reminded that a major contributor to the over orchestrated insecurity on the streets of the Niger Delta today is the encouragement of the oil majors to site their headquarters outside the region by powerful non- Niger Deltans, thus depriving Niger Deltans of the numerous job opportunities that could have kept them off the streets.

“According to the  Speaker of the House, any business concern has a right to set up office in any part of the country. True, but does it not matter if the company’s place of choice for its administrative headquarters jeopardizes its relationship with the people of its area of operation?”