WEDNESDAY April 23, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) of Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom State, has issued a renewed demand for the immediate award of a long-promised surveillance security contract by Sterling Global/Natural Oil Field Services, accusing the oil firm of reneging on its commitment to engage local youths since operations began in the area, FirstNEWS reports.
In a strongly worded communiqué released Wednesday in Uyo following the inauguration of new Operational Area chapters, the youth body also decried what it described as systematic political exclusion of Eastern Obolo indigenes from key appointments at the state level for over a decade.
The communique, signed by Chairman Michael Jaja, Secretary Ezekiel Uneadasi, Assistant Secretary Matthew Uraniyok, and 23 other members, described the failure to honour the surveillance contract pledge as a “denial of economic empowerment and meaningful engagement” for youths in the oil-rich council.
“At the inception of their operations, Sterling Global/Natural Oil Field Services made a commitment to award a surveillance security contract to the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) when the blueprint was ready,” the communique stated. “This promise remains unfulfilled, leaving our youths disenfranchised and economically excluded.”
The group also called for the immediate provision of electricity to host communities, the establishment of an exclusive Host Community Trust Fund, and the implementation of proper employment practices in line with the Nigerian Local Content Law of 2010.
While applauding Governor Umo Eno for his intervention in reopening the Obianga and Ikonta creeks, which had previously been blocked due to host community tensions, the group lamented the continued neglect of Eastern Obolo in political appointments.
“For over 10 years, no indigene of Eastern Obolo has been appointed as commissioner in Akwa Ibom State or as a representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),” the communiqué read. “This is despite the fact that Eastern Obolo plays a significant role in the state’s oil economy.”
The youth council stressed that such long-standing marginalisation not only dampens local morale but also threatens the fragile peace in the oil-producing communities.
The IYC reiterated its call on the state government and Sterling Global to treat the concerns of the Eastern Obolo clan with urgency, warning that continued neglect could worsen already strained relations between the oil company and its host communities.
“The oil from our land fuels development across the country. It is only fair that the people of Eastern Obolo are carried along politically, economically, and socially,” the council concluded.
‘No Commissioner in 10 Years’: IYC Decries Marginalisation of Eastern Obolo
