NGO Warns Of Looming Protest By Ex-artisanal Refiners

NGO Warns Of Looming Protest By Ex-artisanal Refiners

calls for implementation of demands

By Faith Kordoo

A non-governmental organization, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), has raised alarm over a possible spontaneous mass protest by ex-artisanal refiners across the Niger Delta.

The warning was contained in a press statement released and signed by the group’s Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Monday, March 4, 2024.

This comes as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains seemingly silent despite being informed to nip it in the bud by addressing their demands within the shortest possible time.

Fyneface explained that YEAC-Nigeria, incorporated to, among others, campaign against crude oil theft, artisanal refining, and pollution, has been at the forefront of campaigning, sensitizing, coordinating, and proposing alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners as crude oil theft mitigation mechanisms.

He revealed that the center learned about the planned demonstration through the leadership of the modular refinery multi-purpose cooperative societies for artisanal refiners established and inaugurated across the Niger Delta, adding that it urged them to hold off on that move, as the center was going to write and inform Mr. President on their behalf to address their demands with a view to averting the impending mass demonstration.

This, he noted, was successfully accomplished with a letter dated January 30, 2024, submitted to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, February 1, 2024.

“We (YEAC-Nigeria) shared the intelligence with Mr. President to address the issues with a view to averting the impending spontaneous mass demonstrations that could complicate the unrest in parts of the country over the high cost of living as displaced thousands of people from the entire value chain of artisanal refineries may storm the streets simultaneously across the Delta.”

“The demands being made on Mr. President and the federal government by the ex-artisanal refiners displaced by both the joint military taskforce and pipeline surveillance contractors’ war against artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta include the issuance of the 18 modular refinery licenses, three per state already approved by the previous administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari for Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Edo States, and the inclusion of Abia, Imo, and Ondo States that were excluded, despite the presence of artisanal refineries, the statement reads in part.”

The statement further said that the ex-artisanal refiners are planning the street protest based on what they described as “difficulties, hardship, and hunger” coupled with the current worsening economic situation in the country, which has made them unable to feed and take care of their families since their dislodgement from artisanal refineries by the combined operations of government security forces and Tantita Pipeline Surveillance contractors thus, demanding the legalization of artisanal refineries through the immediate establishment of the Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI)” proposed by YEAC-Nigeria as one of the alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners.

The Center decried President Tinubu’s perceived silence so far and further revealed that they have also informed the Inspector General of Police, Department of State Services (DSS), National Security Adviser, and Chief of Army Staff, among others, about the looming protests in separate letters and urged them to provide adequate security for the demonstrators any day that the protest breaks out spontaneously and simultaneously across the Niger Delta after March 31st if their demands were not met.

While expressing optimism that President Tinubu would renew the hope of the ex-artisanal refiners by addressing their demands, Fyneface called on the youths to slow down on their ongoing mobilisation for the mass demonstrations.

He, however, nudged them to be on standby, stressing that their constitutional rights to peaceful protest cannot be denied them if the government fails to address their demands within their stipulated time frame.