Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Niger Delta youth leaders under the auspices of Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Forum on Wednesday demanded the immediate restart of the Port Harcourt refinery, describing its prolonged shutdown as a deliberate economic strangulation of oil-bearing communities.
The demand came during a mass protest at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL Towers in Abuja, where demonstrators, led by Ijaw Youth Council, IYC President, Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri, called for urgent federal government intervention to revive the critical national asset.
Lokpobiri, who also serves as Chairman of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Forum, said the region can no longer tolerate promises without action on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery.
“We are also demanding the restart of the Port Harcourt refinery,” he declared.
“Niger Delta people cannot continue to be surrounded by oil facilities, polluted by oil operations, and yet be denied the basic benefits of development. If the refinery is working, it will create jobs and revive businesses in the region.”
The protesters accused the NNPCL leadership of abandoning the refinery rehabilitation project despite previous assurances of completion. Placards carried by the youths bore inscriptions such as “Restart Port Harcourt Refinery Now,” “We Need Jobs, Not Excuses,” and “End the Economic Marginalization of Niger Delta.”
According to Lokpobiri, restarting the refinery is a key step in addressing youth unemployment and industrial stagnation in the Niger Delta.
“The Niger Delta deserves more than empty promises. The restart of the refinery will not only provide employment but also reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fuel imports,” he stressed.
Legborsi Yamaabana, Spokesman of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum and President-General of the Ogoni Youth Federation, echoed the call, saying the delay has fueled anger and frustration across the region.
“The continuous dormancy of the Port Harcourt refinery is nothing but sabotage against the people of the Niger Delta. We are ready to occupy Abuja until this demand is met,” Yamaabana said.
The protest, which brought activities at the NNPCL headquarters to a standstill, highlighted the refinery’s symbolic importance as both an economic and political touchstone for the Niger Delta.
“We want development, not pollution. We want jobs, not excuses,” the protesters chanted as they vowed to continue their action until their demands are addressed.
