Udengs Eradiri, a former president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the transfer of essential agencies involved in oil to the Niger Delta.
The Labour Party’s (LP) candidate for governor of Bayelsa State, Eradiri, praised President Tinubu for authorising the transfer of critical commercial agencies from Abuja to Lagos State.
In a statement dated Wednesday, Eradiri—a former Bayelsa Commissioner—said that decongesting Abuja, which he called the nation’s political capital, was long overdue.
He noted that some agencies being transferred to Lagos, mainly important ones affiliated with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had no business 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.
“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 transfer important federally owned oil-related businesses and organisations to the Niger Delta.
He urged the President to order the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, or NNPCL, to relocate some of its subsidiaries’ corporate offices to the capital cities of the Niger Delta states.
He stated that several cities, including Yenagoa in Bayelsa, Port Harcourt in Rivers, Uyo in Akwa Ibom, and Asaba in Delta, are prepared to welcome these agencies and provide sufficient protection.
He said such a step would boost the region’s economy, create jobs, lessen insecurity, and help President Tinubu’s wealth redistribution goal.
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”.
