The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on Monday fired back at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for criticising him over his demand for the relocation of the headquarters of multi-national oil companies operating in the country to the Niger Delta.
Omo-Agege, who claimed to have spoken from an informed position on the matter, lambasted the NNPC for employing “such indecorous and intemperate language to dismiss efforts to douse anxieties, especially in a matter that touches on the economic prosperity of the Niger Delta region.”
The NNPC had in its reaction to an earlier plea by the deputy senate president that the multi-national oil companies in the country should relocate their head offices, said that Omo-Agege was either misinformed on the matter or must have been misquoted by the media.
But Omo-Agege in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Yomi Odunuga, stressed that he had specifically sought a commitment that the plan to relocate the headquarters of the Nigerian Gas Company from Ekpan-Warri, Delta State, was dropped because of the danger this would pose to the development of the area.
The statement, therefore, insisted that the deputy senate president would not relent in his demand that the multi-national oil companies should, “in compliance with an earlier plea made by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, relocate their headquarters to the region while guaranteeing the safety of the workers.”
The deputy senate president added that the relocation of the oil companies to the Niger Delta would accelerate the economic and physical development of the area “as there would be massive employment opportunities with anticipated return of the oil servicing firms that also relocated alongside the multi-national companies.”
Omo-Agege also assured that he would use his exalted office to ensure the return of complete peace to the Niger Delta to enable the people of the area to further benefit from the economic plans of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and also attain the potential of a truly blessed region.
The full text of the deputy senate president’s statement entitled, “Re: NNPC faults Omo-Agege on relocation of gas company” reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation stating that the Deputy President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege , was either misinformed or must have been quoted out of context in his plea for multinationall oil companies to relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region.
“Specifically, he had sought a commitment that the planned relocation of the headquarters of the Nigerian Gas Company from Ekpan-Warri in Delta state should be dropped as it’s relocation could jeopardise developmental strides in the area.
“While it is gratifying that the NNPC, in the statement signed by its General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, has assured all the stakeholders in the region that neither the NGC nor any of its other subsidiaries would be relocated outside the area of operation, the following clarifications have become necessary.
“First, there has been widespread anxieties among stakeholders in the Niger Delta over alleged plans for the relocation of the NGC; it has been on the front burner for many months before the Deputy President of the Senate drew attention to it during the ministerial screening.
“The issue, it must be stressed, was the focus of a peaceful youthful protest by Niger Delta youths earlier in January this year at the premises of the NGC and this disrupted the activities of the gas firm until an official from the Delta State Government and other stakeholders intervened and normalcy was restored. This particular event was widely reported and it was given ample coverage in The Guardian newspaper of January 8, 2019 with the title “Delta youths protest against planned relocation of gas company.’
“It is clear to us that Senator Omo-Agege has spoken from a position of informed knowledge and it is very unfortunate that the NNPC would rather deploy such indecorous and intemperate language to dismiss efforts to douse anxieties, especially in a matter that touches on the economic prosperity of the Niger Delta region.
“As far as the Deputy Senate President is concerned, he would continue to maintain his demand that multinationall oil companies should, in compliance with an earlier plea made by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, relocate their headquarters to the region while guaranteeing the safety of the workers. This will further help in the accelerated economic and physical development of the area as there would be massive employment opportunities with anticipated return of the oil servicing firms that also relocated alongside the multinational companies.
“The Deputy Senate President aims to leverage on his position to ensure that complete peace returns to the Niger Delta so that it’s people can further access the benefits of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic plans and thereby attain the potential of a truly blessed region.”
