By Abubakar Yunusa
In a bid to enhance safety and inclusivity, youths from the Niger Delta region are strongly advocating for the relocation of upcoming host community (HostCom) meetings to Warri, Delta State.
A recent altercation at a prominent hotel in Abuja’s Central District of Jabi during a Tuesday gathering of oil-producing community members from Delta State resulted in three individuals sustaining serious injuries. This incident has raised concerns about effective conflict management in these communities.
The disruption marred what was intended to be a peaceful assembly, underscoring underlying tensions within the region’s advocacy efforts. One injured individual received emergency medical treatment at a nearby hospital.
The intervention of security personnel from the Utako Police Division and the hotel management team was necessary to restore order at the venue.
Addressing the media after the incident, Victor Udoh, President-General of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders, stressed the importance of relocating future meetings to Warri to ensure both safety and efficacy.
Udoh stated, “Our impromptu press address is essential to shed light on the unfortunate events that unfolded at the hotel. Significant disagreements during the meeting, including the exclusion of certain groups, led to conflicts and injuries.”
Expressing dismay over the exclusion of groups from the meeting, Udoh asserted that choosing Abuja as the meeting location caused “unnecessary embarrassment” for the Niger Delta and emphasized the need for inclusivity.
“We urge the Delta State structure of the oil-producing community to hold all future meetings in Warri, a significant city in the Niger Delta,” he emphasized, highlighting Warri’s status as the Oil City, making it a more fitting location for oil-related discussions.
The Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders also called on federal agencies, such as the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to refrain from mobilizing community members to Abuja due to the “stress and uncertainties” associated with such travel.
Udoh underscored the importance of involving the region’s youth in every engagement to ensure lasting peace and tranquility. He clarified that the initial suspicion of political motivation for the incident was later found to be linked to the meeting’s location.
