“It’s witch hunt against Niger Delta” – IYC

Describing the Malabu oil deal probe as unacceptable, IYC, which also carpeted the Federal Government on its stance on dialogue over the Niger-Delta, said the Malabu oil deal has been subjected to sustained probe because it is owned by a Niger Deltan.

In a chat with journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, IYC President, Udengs Eradiri, enjoined the Federal Government and foreign countries involved in the probe to hands-off, for the sake of peace in the region. He said: “Malabu probe is designed to witch-hunt the Niger Delta people. 

The Federal Government should hands off the Malabu issue because you cannot be probing Malabu and leaving others that emanated from the same process.

“This is a country where oil blocks were awarded and allocated to cronies and nobody is saying anything about them but because Malabu is owned by a Niger Deltan and an Ijaw man, it is being probed every-day for no reason. If they want to investigate Malabu, they should investigate every other person that has been awarded oil blocs in this country.

They awarded oil blocs to their friends, cronies and brothers. “OPL 244, OPL245 and OPL 246, which were awarded the same day through the same process and most of the oil blocks were awarded to people from the North; they are enjoying their largesse but everyday Malabu is subjected to probe.

The signature bonus in this country is $20million but Malabu paid $210 million as signature bonus and yet nobody is talking but we the Niger Delta people will not be quiet. “This is how they brought down All States Trust Bank, Oceanic Bank, Diezani Allison, and Jonathan administration, dragging him in the mud every day. This is how this administration sacked Ijaw people in the NNPC. The Federal Government and the foreign countries should hands off Malabu.”

Dialogue with N-Delta leaders The IYC President, who also carpeted the Federal Government over the continued delay in negotiations with Niger Delta leaders, stressed that the action of the Federal Government is an indication it is not ready to bring peace and development to the region.

“Look at the negotiation in the Niger Delta, they are neither here nor there. We are not expecting President Muhammadu Buhari to solve all the Niger Delta problems but he should give us his plans on how he will ensure that oil flows in the region because military action will not work. IYC will continue to speak against the injustice in the Niger Delta,” Eradiri added.