The Ijaw Youth Council has given the international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the Niger Delta an ultimatum to vacate the region.
The council said the notice is in line with the 30 days ultimatum handed to the Federal Government to inaugurate a substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The commission had been managed by an interim management committee but currently has a sole administrator.
At a press briefing, the president of the IYC, Peter Igbifa, asked the oil companies to shut down operations willingly.
He said “We are not going to carry a gun and chase anybody as Ijaw youths but we will stand on our right until our demand for the substantive board is inaugurated in the NDDC. In line with the ultimatum as the days are counting, we should have nine days remaining to go. All IOCs operating in our region should begin a peaceful and gentle evacuation of their personnel. It should be a very gentle and peaceful evacuation because we do not want anybody to take advantage of the shutdown. We want them to take responsibility of their personnel, remove them gently. If you have IOCs that operate flow stations, take the remaining days and time and shutdown them down gently by yourself. We are not coming to your flow station, shut them by yourself, we want you to shut the flames by yourself and vacate your personnel. Within these days remaining in the ultimatum, you can take three to four days to shut down and evacuate.”