Angry Youths and Women of Communities in Brass Local Government Council Area of Bayelsa State have staged a protest against a planned withdrawal of the Federal Government’s 40 per cent stake and relocation of the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) project in the area.
The Protesting youths and women, armed with placards and green leaves, accused the Federal Government (FG) of deliberately trying to throw the area into another era of violent crimes and militancy with the planned exit of the LNG from the area.
The protesters, armed with placards with inscription such as “FG Leave Brass LNG alone in Bayelsa”, “Buhari: Listen to the Niger Delta, Brass LNG is our own”, “Brass LNG, solution to Niger Delta problems”, “The youths deserve Better, leave Brass LNG” and “Buhari, Don’t politicise LNG”, warned that the closure of the Brass LNG may lead the youths back to unemployment, violent crimes along the waterways and bombing of oil facilities.
Niger Delta Will Boil Again
Some of the protesters claimed the workforce of the Brass LNG were being disengaged due to the planned relocation and were becoming violently agitated.
The chairman of the local government area, Honourable Bello Bina, however, appealed for calm.
He said though he was worried and concerned over the alleged relocation of the Brass LNG.
“The LNG is a project with Federal Government (FG) 40 per cent stake. If it is withdrawn, over 30,000 jobs would be lost.
“Brass Local Government has excess of gas.Why would a Federal Government that promised employment and youth’s engagement be thinking of shutting down 30,000 jobs?
“I Will pass your message to the Governor and will call on the FG to allow the Brass LNG to stay. Because if the Brass LNG pull out, the Niger Delta will boil again,” he warned.
The Youth Leader of Twon Brass, Ebigon Sebo, described the alleged relocation of the Brass LNG as “inciting”,
“The Brass LNG might leave any moment. They have sacked their workers due to the plan. It is now the Federal Government want to use joblessness to provoke the Niger Delta people.
“If the LNG pull out, the youths of the state and the region may increase the tempo of criminality.”
“We are begging the FG to avoid crime and bloodshed. We also warn that we will not allow the Brass LNG leave the area with their vital equipment,” he added.