From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Some youths from the Niger Delta region have demanded the relocation of future host community (HostCom) meetings to Warri, Delta State, following the violent outbreak at a meeting in Abuja.
The altercation, which occurred at the Jabi Central District yesterday resulted in at least three individuals sustaining serious injuries, escalating concerns about conflict management in oil-producing communities.
The fracas disrupted what was meant to be a peaceful assembly of oil-producing community members from Delta State, highlighting the tensions that sometimes underpin the region’s advocacy efforts.
One of the injured parties was promptly taken to a hospital for emergency medical treatment.
It took the combined efforts of security personnel from the Utako Police Division and the hotel management team to restore order at the venue.
In the aftermath of the disturbance, Victor Udoh, the President-General of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders, addressed the media.
During his briefing, he emphasised the necessity of moving discussions to Warri to ensure the safety and effectiveness of future meetings.
Udoh said: “This impromptu press address is necessary to shed light on the unfortunate events that unfolded over the last three hours.
“Our attention was drawn to the fracas within the aforementioned hotel, where members of the oil-producing community from Delta State were gathered to hold a meeting.
“During this meeting, there were significant disagreements; some groups were excluded from the invitation, leading to conflict and even bloody injuries.”
Udoh, who leads the platform advocating the Niger Delta’s interests, expressed dismay over the exclusion of some groups from the meeting, which escalated into conflict.
He asserted that the choice of Abuja for the meeting resulted in “unnecessary embarrassment” for the Niger Delta and stressed the importance of inclusivity.
“We urge the Delta State structure of the oil-producing community to hold all future meetings in Warri, a significant city in the Niger Delta,” he stated, adding that Warri, known as the Oil City, is a more fitting location for oil-related discussions.
Furthermore, the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders called on federal agencies, including the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to refrain from mobilising community members to Abuja, citing “stress and uncertainties” involved in such travel.
Udoh also highlighted the need to involve the region’s youth in every engagement to ensure peace and tranquility.
“Our appeal is to ensure that future meetings are held in Warri, where the community has confidence in the leadership and the process,” Udoh declared.
He explained that the incident was initially suspected to be politically motivated but was later found to be related to the meeting’s location.