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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government has called on the youths to support the fight against oil bunkering, illegal refining and other unwholesome activities that impact negatively on oil production and revenue accruing to the state.
The deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call at a meeting with youth leaders from Ogbia Local Government Area in Government House, Yenagoa, on Thursday.
Pointing out the direct relationship between oil production and revenue generation in the state, Senator Ewhrudjakpo lamented the dwindling federal allocations to the state in recent times.
The deputy governor, who decried the sharp drop in Bayelsa’s oil production, said several oil wells were operating at zero output level.
He blamed the development on the activities of oil thieves, illegal refining of crude and unnecessary stoppage of the operations of oil companies.
The deputy governor said that while the Douye Diri-led administration would not support the oil companies to shortchange their host communities, there is need for the people to channel their grievances to the government for amicable settlement.
According to him, apart from the 13 percent oil derivation, all the other parameters used by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for revenue sharing do not favour Bayelsa.
He therefore charged the youths to stand against any activity that would reduce the quantum of crude oil being produced in the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo stressed that it was unjustifiable to complain against environmental degradation caused by oil companies, when people from the Niger Delta are also contributing to it through illegal refining of crude oil.
The deputy governor, who urged all stakeholders including community leaders to work closely with security agencies to stop the menace, maintained that illegal oil refining does not only endanger the health of the people but also destroys the environment of both the present and future generations
His words: “Our air is beginning to get polluted. We must all put our hands on deck to check this illegal refining of crude oil.
“As I speak with you, our revenues are dropping rapidly. About 40 percent of our oil wells in the state are reporting zero production and you know what that means.
“We need to stop this, and it demands our collective efforts. Our youths should not at the slightest provocation go and block oil flow stations and manifolds, because it is what they produce from those flow stations that accumulate to become 13 percent derivation.
“Every other indicator for sharing revenue is skewed against Bayelsa State So, we cannot afford to use our own hands to injure ourselves and be complaining at the same time,” he said.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Benjamin Okolo, a representative of Sector 2 Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Major Daniel Nienge, and other service commanders in the state, called for credible, realtime intelligence for the security operatives to work with.
In their contributions, the chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council, Central Zone, Comrade Clever Inodu, and the national president of the Ogbia Brotherhood Youth Council, Mr. Napuru Basuo, thanked government for redefining the role of youths in the fight against insecurity.
Mr. Napuru Bassuo, however, pointed out that cultism was on the rise due to political patronage and appealed to government to refrain from giving political appointments to known cultists and criminals.
In a related development, the deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has restated the need for youths in the state to protect their bright future by eschewing cultism, drug abuse and other criminal tendencies.
Ewhrudjakpo, who spoke at a meeting with the leadership of youth groups of communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area, at his office in Yenagoa, emphasized that cultism and drug abuse could only ruin the destinies of their victims.
Describing youths as the greatest asset of a nation, Ewhrudjakpo advised them to change their attitude towards the multinational companies and redirect their energies to fruitful ventures.
He reminded them that notable personalities such as Prof. Ebiegberi Alagoa, Dr. Gabriel Okara, Chief Melford Okilo and other great Bayelsans, did not make it through cultism and substance abuse but by dint of hard work, focus and fearless determination.
While reiterating the present administration’s zero-tolerance position on cultism, Ewhrudjakpo advised cultists to renounce their membership as government was putting in place all necessary machinery to enforce the state anti-cultism law.
On youth involvement in election-related violence, the deputy governor said election was a civic responsibility and not a war to fight with guns and bullets.
He therefore advised the youths to shun electoral violence and also cautioned them against unnecessary street protests at the slightest provocation.
According to the deputy governor, although people have the right to protest, it must not be done in such a way that infringes on other people’s rights as well as give Bayelsa a very bad name and scare away investors from the state.
In separate remarks, secretary to the state government, Rt Hon. Konbowei Benson, and commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Hon. Daniel Igali, urged youths in the state to believe in themselves and embrace entrepreneurship.
Also, the state Assistant Commandant, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr Bashir Oladosu, called for collective efforts in the fight against drug abuse, which he noted, has caused great damage in the state and country in general.
In his contribution, the director general, Bayelsa State Centre for Youth Development, Chief Okubokakpo Ombu, identified gambling as a trending menace that encourages indolence, stealing and other vices among the youths.
Chief Ombu suggested that it was high time government walk the talk by launching a programme he tagged as ‘Operation Safe Bayelsa’ to get rid of social vices in the communities.
Earlier, the Oguan Youth president, Mr Inatimi Timothy, chairman, Epie/Atissa Forum, Mr Collins Grey, and the president of Gbarain Youth Federation, Mr Iweribankumo Okponipere, commended the Governor Douye Diri-led administration for initiating the interactive meeting.
They however, appealed to the government to carry the youth leaders along in the proposed Community Safety Volunteer Corps as a way of encouraging them to do more in the maintenance of peace and security in the area.
Other youth leaders who contributed at the meeting were the president of the Yenagoa Youth Federation, Mr. Peres Ineife, the Youth leader of Okordia Clan, Mr Glitter Ziah and their Zarama, Biseni and Ekpetiama counterparts.
