A coalition of Niger Delta Youth leaders on Wednesday, stormed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Towers in Abuja, calling for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the company, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
The coalition under the auspices of Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders’ Forum, also demanded for the appointment of an indigene of the region as the GCEO of the NNPCL.
The youths arrived the towers in their numbers as early as 6am, carrying placards with different inscriptions and continuously chanting solidarity songs.
Some of the placards read, “Ojulari Has Resigned – He Must Vacate Office Now!”; “NNPCL Cannot Function Without Credible Leadership”; “Tinubu Administration Must Not Shield Corruption In NNPCL”; “Mr. President, We Want Economic Empowerment”; “Make Our Refinery Work And Employ Our People”; and so on.
Security agents including men of the Nigeria Police Force were drafted to the scene in their numbers to maintain decorum and ensure that the protest was peaceful.
Addressing newsmen on behalf of the protesters, Jonathan Lokpobiri, Chairman Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders’ Forum, stated that Ojulari’s tenure as the GCEO of the NNPCL has been the worst for Niger Deltans.
He alleged that the NNPCL boss sacked Niger Delta indigenes in the company and replaced them with his cronies.
Lokpobiri demanded for the reinstatement of the sacked Niger Deltans and employment of more indigenes of the region into the company, stressing that without Niger Delta, there will be no NNPCL.
“There is no NNPCL without Niger Delta. As a people, we want our people employed here. We want the businesses in the oil and gas industries. [Bashir Bayo] Ojulari has never felt the pain of oil pollution in his land. No GCEO of NNPCL has punished Niger Deltans like Ojulari has done within the short period of his time.
“He sacked our people, he has replaced our people, he locked the offices of our people who are working here. Many Niger Deltans have been sacked. D We demand for their reinstatement,” he stated.
Lokpobiri further alleged that Ojulari sabotaged operations at the recently rehabilitated Warri and Port Harcourt Refineries despite experts allegedly saying they have capacities to function, in order to sell the refineries to his cronies “at scrap value.”
He also claimed that Ojulari has withheld salaries of oil pipeline surveillance workers in the Niger Delta region for months while sending public funds into private accounts of his cronies up to the tone of 25 million dollars.
Lokpobiri said, “One man wake up one morning and decided that he was going to shut the refineries down so that the small fuel and diesel businesses our parents and siblings use to survive must end so he can sell the refineries at the scrap value to his friends and cronies. Even when those who are operating the refineries have cautioned that the refineries are optimally functioning.
“Mr Ojulari decided that those of our brothers who are working here must not have a space, therefore, he has locked them out by executive power. That is an abuse of power. Every Niger Delta son has the right to work anywhere in this country. And also has the right to be leaders in this organisation. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are here today not because we love what we are doing, but we are left with no choice.
“Our brothers and sisters who only form 5 per cent of the NNPCL are being punished for being from the Niger Delta. We cannot allow that to happen. Those of our brothers sacked by Ojulari must be reinstated. The refineries in the Niger Delta must work now!
“Our brothers who are doing surveillance jobs to secure oil and gas infrastructures in the Niger Delta are being owed salaries of several months. Yet, monies meant for such purposes are transferred to private accounts of Ojulari’s associates and friends to the tone of 21 million dollars.”
However, the protesters later agreed to meet with some officials of the NNPCL following an appeal by a representative of the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri.
The leaders of the protest promised to brief the public of the outcome of the meeting subsequently.
