Group disowns protest against NNPCL CEO
The Warri Indigenous Peoples Movement (WIPM) has distanced the Itsekiri ethnic nationality from a protest calling for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bayo Ojulari. In a statement signed by its chairman, Hon. Kingsley Tenumah, and general secretary, Comrade Monoyo Edon, the group said […]
The Warri Indigenous Peoples Movement (WIPM) has distanced the Itsekiri ethnic nationality from a protest calling for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bayo Ojulari.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Hon. Kingsley Tenumah, and general secretary, Comrade Monoyo Edon, the group said the Itsekiri were neither consulted nor involved in the planning of the recent demonstration in Abuja.
The movement, in the statement read by Comrade Monoyo Edon, stressed that it remains opposed to the ethnicisation and politicisation of Niger Delta issues, warning that such actions only create unnecessary divisions among the region’s diverse groups.
WIPM noted that while other groups reserve the right to express their views, it believes Ojulari’s ongoing reforms since assuming office deserve constructive engagement and support. It urged stakeholders in the Niger Delta and beyond to embrace dialogue over confrontation.
The group further stated that any concerns about past decisions or policies of the NNPCL should be addressed through due process and proper oversight, rather than public protests.
Reiterating its confidence in Ojulari’s leadership, the WIPM called on Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government as it implements reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the oil and gas sector.
It added that fair and transparent scrutiny of sector leadership should focus on policies rather than personalities or ethnic affiliations.
Tenumah said oil theft at industrial scale was crippling the region and the country.
“We want the authorities to go after the high-level oil bunkerers in the Niger Delta, the ones operating on the high seas, not just the small-scale jerrycan bunkerers. Shiploads of illegal Nigerian crude oil are being taken out of this country on a daily basis,” Tenumah said.
He urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to widen its investigations beyond refinery turnaround maintenance to include how oil thieves evade military surveillance.
He added that attempts to discredit Ojulari were a ploy to pressure him into reopening pipelines for exploitation.
Tenumah also demanded fair treatment for the Itsekiri, who he said accounted for over 33 percent of Nigeria’s oil revenue, with more than 70 oil flow stations in their communities. “When allocating jobs and contracts, give us our rightful share according to the law,” he said.
Chief Priest of Omadino Community in Warri South Local Government Area, Roland Oti-Yomere, also urged support for Ojulari, stressing that he should be allowed to carry out reforms in the oil sector without distraction.
“The issue here is straightforward, the Managing Director should be allowed to do his job legitimately. What we are focused on today is the rampant illegal bunkering taking place in the creeks. The Managing Director is aware of it and is determined to put an end to it. That is the real fight,” Oti-Yomere said.
He also appealed for fairness in the allocation of surveillance contracts, urging that they be shared among ethnic nationalities based on actual production levels.