By Huldah Shado
Youth leaders from the Niger Delta on Wednesday staged a protest at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), in Abuja, demanding the resignation of the Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
Arriving as early as 6 a.m., the protesters blocked the main gates of the NNPCL Towers, causing a traffic gridlock along Herbert Macaulay Way in the Central Business District.
Armed with placards bearing bold inscriptions, the youths sang solidarity songs, accompanied by live drumming and loudspeakers mounted on a truck.
The demonstrators also insisted that the leadership of the NNPCL be ceded to an appointee from the Niger Delta, citing the region’s stake in Nigeria’s oil wealth.
Security personnel, including officers of the Nigeria Police Force, were quickly deployed to the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
While the protest caused serious traffic disruption, security operatives appealed to the youths to remain peaceful, a call that was largely heeded.
The protest underscores mounting frustrations among Niger Delta youths over leadership, accountability, and representation in the oil industry issues that continue to fuel agitation in the region.
