16 years after: Relocation of Oil Coys Headquarters excites Niger Delta

It was long in coming, and few had expected such a move from a government that had in the past been seen as unfriendly to the people of the Niger Delta.
The directive by the Federal Government to oil producing companies to move their headquarters to their producing areas had been a long demand of the people of the region. From Adaka Boro through the intellectual struggles of Ken Saro-Wiwa to the activism of the Fourth Republic resource control governors,

The directive on March 2 during a town hall meeting between the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and stakeholders in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State may have signaled a change in the harsh tone that had shadowed the relationship between the people of the region and the Federal Government.
The Acting President urged the Minister of State, Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to begin the process of engaging the International Oil Companies on the way forward to actualize the directive, saying “I think it is the right thing to do”.

The directive is one that has understandably been welcomed by several Niger Delta leaders, one of whom is Temi Harriman, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC who played a pioneering role in the agitation when she was a member of the House of Representatives.

Harriman, it would be recalled, sponsored a bill to amend the Petroleum Act with the intent of giving oil producing areas ownership of the oil resources. The controversial bill also provided that oil companies be compelled to site their headquarters in the regions where they produce.

Debate on the bill on Wednesday, May 9, 2001, led to a shouting match in the House as otherwise political allies set aside political affiliations as the bill divided the House along geopolitical lines. The bill was almost totally rejected by northerners and almost totally supported by southerners. In the end, the bill was pronounced dead by the deputy speaker, Chibudom Nwuche who presided following the superior 81 votes mustered by the northerners against the 64 votes mustered by those from the south.
Though the full range of the clause as to ownership of the resource was not proclaimed by Osinbajo, the directive to the minister of state, petroleum to effect the relocation of the headquarters of the oil companies has been generally applauded by the people of the Niger Delta.

Among the foremost in welcoming the government, the directive has been the slim and slender but yet revolutionary Harriman.
“I feel vindicated that the government has finally listened to this wise and sensible proposal that has long been coming,” Harriman told Saturday Vanguard.
While commending the administration for the initiative, she said:
“When the government takes a good initiative it should be well commended, though this has long been overdue, but it is the right thing to do,” she said.

“As I said then and it is as obvious then and now, the relocation of headquarters of the oil companies to the Niger-Delta will curtail vandalism and sabotage.”
“I said then on the defeat of the bill and still firmly believe, that history is on our side, the side of those who bear the brunt of exploitation of oil production that has sustained the wealth and revenue of Nigeria for the last 60 years.
So, what the government has done is “just, it is symbolic, politically correct for this long-overdue relocation as a commitment to host locales.”

Harriman added:
“The directive by the vice-president will go a long way in boosting relations between the oil producing companies and the communities where they operate and ease the hurt among the people who see the oil companies as strangers in their environment.

Noting that the directive would also help boost the economy of the oil producing regions, she added:
“The practice of the oil companies making money in the Niger Delta and carrying it to spend outside the region is something that has long been frowned at, and it is my opinion that this directive would help to bridge the dichotomy between the people and the oil companies.
“I urge governors and federal legislators from the oil producing regions to ensure that this directive is carried out to the letter,” the APC chieftain said.

By Emmanuel Aziken,Political Editor VanguardNewsPapers