Piqued by the recent spate of bomb attacks on oil and gas pipelines in Delta and other parts of the region, the President of the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), Udengs Eradiri has petitioned President Muhammad Buhari to order investigation into the alleged involvement of oil multinationals.
Eradiri alleged that those involved in the bombings were contractors and senior officials of the Oil multinational companies operating in the region.
He described the acts of sabotage as a crime against humanity and the people of the region.
According to him, the cost paid by multinational companies for the repairs of damaged pipelines is responsible for the increased cases of pipeline vandalism and destruction.
“If the pipeline are attacked, the multinationals pay as much as N7.5million for rupture pipelines. And if 100 parts of the pipelines are bombed, the company pay N7.5million times 100.
“With this arrangement and variation in payments by oil and Gas multinationals, the criminal elements hired by some of their staff are sent to attack the pipelines. They should stop accusing the people of the Niger Delta region. The recent bombings have nothing to do with the Niger Delta region.
“Nigerians must not confuse pipeline destruction with Niger Delta agitations. It has nothing to do with Niger Delta. In Delta State, what happened was political bombing in order to blackmail the Niger Delta people. These people are looking for ways to take charge.
“President Buhari should investigate the oil companies and the contractors they use for these jobs. They use these people to the detriment of the nation and come back to blackmail the Niger Delta people. Most the companies they use for repairs are owned by the Directors in the Oil companies,” the IYC president alleged.
