The ex-President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Udengs Eradiri, has urged Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu to relocate vital oil-related agencies to the Niger Delta region.
Eradiri, the former Labour Party Governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, commended Tinubu for approving the transfer of significant commercial agencies from Abuja to Lagos.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Eradiri, a former Bayelsa Commissioner, emphasized that decongesting Abuja, the political capital, was long overdue.
He pointed out that agencies like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had no legitimate reason to remain in Abuja.
Eradiri said: “Lagos is the commercial headquarters of Nigeria and key commercial agencies, parastatals and other trade-related establishments belonging to the federal government are supposed to have their headquarters in Lagos State to facilitate smooth business operations and ensure the ease of doing business in the country.
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“Nobody should read any political dimension to it because, in the first place, they were not supposed to be in Abuja. We should not play politics with some decisions because the government got this one spot on.”
Eradiri, however, urged Tinubu to consider relocating vital oil-related establishments and federal government agencies to the Niger Delta region.
He specifically called on the President to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to transfer the headquarters of some of its subsidiaries to the capital cities of certain states in the Niger Delta.
Cities like Yenagoa in Bayelsa, Port Harcourt in Rivers, Uyo in Akwa Ibom, and Asaba in Delta, among others, are prepared to serve as hosts for these agencies and ensure their security.
Eradiri emphasized that such a strategic move could enhance the region’s economy, create job opportunities, diminish insecurity, and support President Tinubu’s agenda for wealth redistribution.
He said: “We recall that during the visit of Yemi Osibanjo in his capacity as an acting President, he promised that the federal government would compel oil multinationals to relocate their offices to the Niger Delta region. However, throughout the lifespan of that administration, that promise was not fulfilled.
“We know that a new sheriff is in town with new and unique ways of doing things. The new government believes in decentralization and even development. In the spirit of the ongoing decongestion of the Capital Territory, we appeal to the President to remember the Niger Delta by compelling NNPCL to send headquarters of their subsidiaries to the region.
“It will facilitate the development of our region and give all communities a sense of belonging. It will also stop incessant attacks on oil facilities by persons who feel sidelined by the operations of oil companies in our region”.