The echo of agitation for
total relocation of headquarters of all the multinational oil companies operating in the country to the oil-rich Niger Delta region reverberated yesterday as a youth group, South- South Consultative, Enlightenment and mobilization Council (SSYCEMOC) has  renewed the call .
Director of Publicity of SSYCEMOC, Mr Nnodim  Oluoh, made the call yesterday in Port Harcourt the Rivers State Capital.
Oluoh challenged the multinational oil firms to prove to the world why they should continue to keep their headquarters at Lagos and Abuja even when oil and gas, which is their main business, come from the oil-rich Niger Delta.
The group’s Publicity Secretary said,” the security situation in the Niger Delta as it stands today is better than what obtains in other parts of Nigeria, why are they there in Abuja and Lagos issuing policy statements when all the operational activities are here in the region,” he queried.
The group urged the federal government, South- South geopolitical zone governors and stakeholders in the sector to prevail on the managements of the multinationals to do the right thing by relocating their head offices to the region.
He accused the multinationals of  taking away the employment opportunities, contracts and other benefits at the headquarters unfairly to other parts of the region thereby short changing the Niger Delta People. “You cannot on your own take what belongs to our people to other people while what sustains you comes from here,” he maintained.
The group also expressed disappointment on the National Assembly for their choice in frustrating passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
He regretted that such an initiative that holds so much promises to the oil producing communities, the companies and the government must be frustrated for over ten years.
“As it stands, the Seventh National Assembly cannot pass the bill because, it has only few months and the said months would be occupied by electioneering campaigns. History will judge them,” he said.

Stories by Chris Oluoh

Commander General of NSCDC, Dr Ade Abolurin (3rd-l), inspecting seized jerry cans of petrol from vandals during his tour of Oke-Oko Isawo in Ikorodu, Lagos State recently