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By Sunday Ani
The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has demanded the immediate relocation of the headquarters of oil companies and their affiliates to the oil-producing states in the South South zone.
Speaking at a world press conference, the NDYC Coordinator, Israel Uwejeyan, condemned the systemic exploitation and marginalisation of the region.
He said oil-producing states in the zone have been subjected to grave injustices for decades.
He said: “For decades, oil-producing states in the South-South have been subjected to grave injustices as our resources are drained, our lands degraded, and our people left impoverished.
“Meanwhile, other non-oil producing states benefit from our wealth in taxes, infrastructure, and economic opportunities. This continued injustice will no longer be tolerated.
“We demand immediate and comprehensive action from President Bola Tinubu’s administration to address these lingering injustices. The era of silence and complacency is over.
“We strongly demand the immediate relocation of oil companies’ headquarters and their affiliates to the oil-producing states.
“It is an egregious insult to the people of the Niger Delta that oil companies and their affiliates, including oil servicing and oil insurance companies, operate from states that contribute nothing to oil production.
“These corporations exploit the resources of the Niger Delta, while concentrating their offices, headquarters, and operations in cities like Lagos, where they pay taxes, hire staff, and create economic value.”
According to Uwejeyan, the recently proposed tax reform bill, with its focus on derivation and consumption-based revenue sharing, underscores the urgent need for the companies to be relocated to the oil-producing states immediately.
He stressed that the existing arrangement perpetuates the impoverishment of the Niger Delta states; a development that the group rejects.
“Our demand for the immediate relocation of all oil companies headquarters to the oil producing states must be initiated and completed within the first quarter of 2025. No excuses will be tolerated.
“All taxes, including corporate taxes, VAT, and royalties, must be paid directly to the host states.
“It is only fair that tax revenues generated from the oil extracted in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and other oil-producing states remain within the region for its development following the proposed tax reform bill.
“The Niger Delta states must be empowered to monitor and regulate the activities of these companies within their borders to ensure environmental accountability and equitable practices.
“We cannot and will not continue to stand by as our resources are shipped out to enrich states that contribute nothing to oil production.
“Furthermore, we unequivocally demand the full activation of Warri and Sapele Seaports, It is inconceivable that in a nation as vast as Nigeria, maritime trade remains concentrated in one state.
“The Federal Government’s neglect of the Warri and Sapele seaports is a deliberate sabotage of the Niger Delta region’s economic potential.
“These seaports are strategically located and equipped to drive economic growth in the South-South and South-East, yet they remain underutilized due to policies designed to favour a particular State.”
