‘We’ll no longer condone gas flaring’ — Ijaw youths tackle oil companies in Niger Delta

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) says it will no longer condone incessant gas flaring and other hazardous activities of international oil companies (IOCs) in the Niger Delta.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Alaye Theophilus, president of the council, said gas flaring and venting have caused severe environmental, economic and health problems in the region for many years.

Theophilus, who recently took over as the leader of the council, said his mandate as the ninth president of IYC is to promote, defend and demand justice for the people as well the activation of seaports in the region.

He urged the government and relevant stakeholders to consider the concerns of residents and improve their contributions to the development of the Niger Delta.

“We are in an era where policies of the government are anti-Ijaw and undermine our collective contribution to national sustainable development,” he said.

“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 seaports in West Africa.

“What we keep hearing is that our environment is not safe enough, this must stop under my watch as president of the council as we demand activation of our seaports.

“I must state it clearly that we will no longer condone incessant gas flaring and lackadaisical practices of the international oil companies that have cost us a lot as a people. We shall strive to maintain the stability in council and the Ijaw nation under my leadership.

“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.”

The house of representatives had previously vowed to recover the sum of over $9 billion in gas flaring fines, which were imposed by the federal government on erring local and foreign oil and gas companies.