NIGERIA AGIP OIL COMPANY IMBROGLIO: NDYF HENCHMAN, BARR. OTIKPO LAMBASTS IJAW YOUTHS, URGES THEM TO GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

"The tendencies of IYC  and their co-travelers, if not nipped in the bud immediately by relevant Niger Delta umbrella bodies like NDYF, will definitely snowball into monumental ethnic discontent, insecurity, hatred and a possible outright ethnic crisis in the company and the Niger Delta region of Nigeria at large"..... Otikpo.

"NDYF will not fold its hands and allow the peace and stability of the volatile Oil Rich Region to be compromised again".

The National leadership of the Niger Delta Youth Forum (NDYF), apex umbrella consultative body of all youths movement in the nine Niger Delta states, has in strong words, condemned the recent campaign of calumny being mounted against Mrs. Callista Azogu, the Deputy Managing Director (DMD)/General Manager, Human Resources and Organizations (GMH).

The campaign of calumny which is being orchestrated by the trio of Ijaw youths Council, the Ijaw Youth Paliament and the so-called Concerned landlords of Swamp and Land Areas Operations of the Nigeria AGIP Oil company who, through their video press conference and petition, accused Mrs Azogu of not employing Niger Deltans in NAOC, institutionalization of ethnic and tribal dominance, secret employments, hijacking and monopolization of key offices and contracts by her for her Igbo kinsmen, discrimination and among others.

Having keenly observed the dangerous dimensions  this imbroglio is assuming, the NDYF National Chairman, Barr Chuks Otikpo is of the view that, the tendencies of IYC  and their co-travelers, if not nipped in the bud immediately by relevant Niger Delta umbrella bodies like NDYF, will definitely snowball into monumental ethnic discontent, insecurity, hatred and a possible outright ethnic crisis in the company and the Niger Delta region of Nigeria at large. 

Therefore, the NDYF Chairman maintained that the body which epitomizes the people's ombudsman and advocates, having successfully midwifed uncountable peace building initiatives in the nine states of the Niger Delta, will not fold its hands and allow the peace and stability of the volatile Oil Rich Region to be compromised again.

In a terse press statement issued on Thursday, the NDYF National Chairman, Barr Chuks Otikpo observed that after a thorough investigation of the claims being put forward by the IYC, Ijaw Youth Parliament and the so-called concerned landlords of the swamp and land areas operations of the Nigeria AGIP oil company; the national leadership of NDYF have found the said allegations baseless, outlandish, unfounded and at most tantamount to a grand conspiracy to get rid of Mrs. Callista Azogu (the only woman to have meritoriously risen to the position of DMD/GMH in the entire sixty two years of NAOC existence in Nigeria) by certain interests groups using some notorious self serving individuals in the IYC. 

Barr. Otukpo went further to clarify that NAOC as a subsidiary of ENI SPA, a global energy company operating in many countries operates within international best practices. 

"The company is guided by strong values to ensure fairness, transparency, honesty and integrity in all of its activities, and the company system of policies and internal controls respect human rights and operate in the highest international standards"

He added  that from their findings, NAOC has not recruited any new personnel since the tenure of the current DMD/GMH. He also maintained that Azou's other Igbos kinsmen as listed do not participate in procurement or contracting activities of the company.  

The Chairman further noted that NDYF also unearthed from its findings that references in the video interview by the above mentioned petitioners are completely misleading and deliberately mischievous. 

Hence, he clarified that NDYF's findings depict that more than half of the present managerial personnel of NAOC are from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states whilst the remaining half are shared by eighteen (18) states of the federation including Imo state (where Mrs. Callista Azogu hails from which is included in the NDDC) that is one of the operating locations of NAOC since over 68 years. 

Also, same findings indicate that about three quarter (3/4) of the total matriculated workforce now at NAOC hails from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states whilst the remaining one quarter (1/4) positions are shared by 18 states of the federation. 

In the same nexus, Barr Otikpo explainer that duly certified copies of NAOC Personnel Data shows that about 80% of the contract personnel working presently in the NAOC’s various locations hail from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states of the Niger Delta region whilst the remaining 20% are shared by other NDDC states (including Imo state, which is also part of NAOC’s operational states). Same data according to him also depicts that about 88% of the contractors providing contract personnel are from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta whilst 12 % are from 5 other states and so this campaign of calumny against Mrs. Callista Azogu championed by a few selfish and parochial elements from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states must be discountenanced.

To this effect, Barr. Otikpo reiterates the stand of NDYF in the matter and vehemently take exceptions to IYC's ckaims and denounce the above IYC baseless petitions, press releases and publications against NAOC and our Niger Delta sister, Mrs. Callista Azogu who in her in her own rights is a bonafide Landlady of NAOC given that her Oguta clan has remained a peaceful host of NAOC oilfield operations for well over sixty years.

To this end, the NDYF's henchman therefore appeals to the management of NAOC to immediately disregard the allegations against Mrs. Callista Azogu and others since it is obvious that the petitioners are disgruntled elements, sponsored by a few power and office seekers from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States in NAOC and call on the management of NAOC to immediately investigate this  conspiracy perpetrated by its staff and prosecute the culprits.