Gas Flaring No Longer Acceptable, Ijaw Youths Warn

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), has warned that it would no longer accept incessant gas flaring and insouciant practices by international oil companies (IOCs) in the Niger Delta region.

This followed the vow by the House of Representatives to recover the sum of over $9 billion gas flaring fines imposed by the federal government on erring local and foreign oil and gas companies.

President of the council, Dr Alaye Theophilus disclosed this in Port Harcourt after taking over from Deacon Peter Igbifa as the president.

In a statement issued yesterday, Theophilus said gas flaring and venting has been a significant environmental, economic, health and social concern for the people of the region for many years.

He said his mandate as the 9th president of the Ijaw nation is to promote, defend and demand justice for the people.

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

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

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

Theophilus further implored the government to explore areas where the region has competitive advantage in order to ameliorate the uncontrollable suffering of the people.

Earlier, the immediate president, Igbifa urged Theophilus to be steadfast and avoid unnecessary distraction in his commitment to set the council on the right path.