By Francis Sadhere

Youths in Delta state have opposed the proposed relocation of the Delta state office of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs from Warri to Asaba.

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru.

The directive to relocate the office is said to have come from the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru.

But according to a joint statement from the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko and Urhobo youth leaders forum, the relocation of the office of the ministry would worsen the already comatose economic situation of Warri.

The statement which was jointly signed by Eric Omare (Ijaw), Awani Esimaje   (Itsekiri), Victor Egbo (Isoko) and Terry Obieh (Urhobo) noted that Warri was already suffering economically and socially due to the effect of the relocation of oil companies such as Shell, Chevron and several contracting firms.

Part of the statement reads; “Information available to the forum is that the reason for the proposed relocation is because the ministry is no longer willing to pay for rented apartment.

“Having considered the economic and social implication of the decision, the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko and Urhobo youth leaders’ forum wishes to respond as follows:

“We reject the proposed decision to relocate the Delta state office of the Ministry of Niger Delta from Warri, the oil capital of Delta State to Asaba.

“Warri is already economically and socially suffering the effect of the relocation of oil companies such as Shell, Chevron and several contracting firms, and to relocate the state office of the Niger Delta Ministry which has some economic impact on the city would worsen the already comatose economic situation of Warri.

“In the first place, the state office of the Niger Delta Ministry was located in Warri just like that of the NDDC because Warri is the oil capital of Delta State and the oil producing communities which the Niger Delta ministry is supposed to serve would easily be access and projects monitored from the Warri office.

“Also most of the people that have something to do with the ministry are from the riverine communities and carry out their activities within Warri and its environs and accesses the Niger Delta Ministry office in Warri easily to address their problems. It would amount to subjecting these people to untold stress and hardship for them to be going to Asaba.

“We also reject the reason for wanting to relocate the office from Warri to Asaba. There are a lot of federal government properties belonging to the federal government agencies such as NPA properties in different parts of Warri that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs can occupy in Warri.”

The group therefore called on the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Uguru to put a stop to the decision to move the Delta State office of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs from Warri to Asaba.

They also called for the intervention of the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Senator representing Delta State, Senator James Manager and the Honourable member representing Warri Federal constituency, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju to put a stop to the decision.