By Emem Idio

YENAGOA—THE leadership of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has called on the Federal Government to prevail on the multinational oil and gas companies and other operators in the oil industry to contribute funds for the development of the Niger Delta region.

IYC, while reacting to media reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and National Petroleum Investment Management Service, NAPIMS, had directed operators in the petroleum industry to contribute at least $100 million annually to the Internally Displaced Persons, IDP Intervention Fund for the people of the North East, urged President Buhari to extend the same gesture to the Niger Delta.

IYC in a statement by its spokesman,  Daniel Dasimaka, said that while Ijaw youths were not opposed to the development of any region in Nigeria, they however, believe that it was only fair and just that the Federal Government directs the multinationals to contribute more to the development of the region which is most negatively impacted by their activities.

Dasimaka said, “We find it quite traumatic that the government and its agencies that have never considered for over 60 years, to instruct the oil companies devastating our lands and rivers thereby,  dislocating our local economies, are today instructing oil companies to contribute to the development of the North East which was destroyed by its own home grown terrorism, while at the same time remaining mute about the development of the Niger Delta.”

where the oil companies get the resources that are being directed to be siphoned to the North East.

“It is a known historical truth that the Niger Delta had suffered far worse than the IDPs in the North East. We are therefore,  calling on President Buhari, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachukwu, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, Transport Minister  and the heads of all relevant agencies overseeing the oil and gas as well as maritime industry in Nigeria to instruct all operators in these sectors to contribute to the development of the Niger Delta.”