How Not To Promote The Politics Of Investors Exit From Warri

For as long as we still find people displaying this ignorance, we will not stop warning that it has become unconscionable to continue to spread the annoying narrative that Warri, Delta state commerce hub and once Nigeria’s most lively oil cities lost its shine and now live in past glory because of youth violence and ethnic conflicts.

While we cannot dispute the fact that these avoidable societal ills contributed to the development setbacks Warri now suffers, it is so indefensible to tell the story like the challenges were peculiar to Warri. The conspiracy that gave force to Shell and other oil firms exiting Warri is more deep-seated than blaming it all on communities violence.

We continue to say it, there is violence in every part of Nigeria including Lagos. The youth violence in Lagos is even far more than the violence in Warri area, yet Lagos still remains the economic hub of Nigeria.

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The #EndSARS protests didn’t drive away investments from Lagos. The decline of business activities in Warri and the South-South cities/towns is a deliberate act by politicians and blaming it exclusively on violence is part of the grand conspiracy to cover up the real motives of those running down Warri for self-gains.

Agreed there are pockets of violence that are noticed in Warri area like in other cities and towns in Nigeria but there is nowhere so safer in Nigeria. Have they not invaded Kuje Prison in Abuja to free hoodlums/terrorists after killing armed security men ? There are hostilities in all over Nigeria.

Have they not invaded Nigeria Defence Academy in Kaduna (NDA) and killed and kidnap military officers? One of the problems that is glaring is lack of good leadership accross the entire nation. There is no sector that is thriving except the oil and gas sector that is bankrolling expenditure of the entire country.

There is decline of business activities in most cities/towns except Lagos due to ignorant and greedy leaders that are bereft of ideas who lack the knowledge of governance.

You may not agree with me but if you have been following up my write-ups then you could understand my opinion on why I faulted this write-up. If some of these oil and gas regulators, like NNPC/NAPIMS, NUPRC, are relocated to Warri as we write and within two weeks you will see most of the oil companies and servicing companies that disappeared will resurface in Warri and environs.

Unfortunately for them they can’t use wireless to drill oil and gas, and they can’t use wireless to transport the crude oil and gas to the oil export terminals for export in Forcados, Escravos. Oil export terminals of Excravos and Forcados are still fully operational except by a new move by former President Mohammadu Buhari and his boys wanting to handle over all oil export terminals to NUPRC when they are far away in Abuja and lagos of which I have faulted.

It is all politics to undermine the South-South people. Port-Harcourt is gradually declining for the same factor, but at the time it turned so bad for Warri when Shell left, there was nothing to justify that Port Harcourt was safer. There was already Ogoni crisis, Port Harcourt and larger Rivers state was the kidnap capital of oil producing in the South-South, yet it was Warri Shell left. They remained in Port Harcourt before now.

No sea port is functioning in the entire South South states except the Onne offshore facility port in Rivers. As I write, attempts are being made to shift all offshore facilities importation through Lagos sea ports instead of Onne in Rivers.

No one is talking except me on this matter. They believe in going to Abuja to collect monthly stipends as Federal allocation.

The decline of business activities in Warri is due largely to Federal Government of Nigeria’s deliberate policy to undermine the South South, restrain her people from maximising the region’s vast economic potentials. What has the fall of Delta Steel Plant, glass factories, refinery/petrol chemical plants, etc. got to do with youth violence?

Dunlop and Michelin plants were never in Warri. These two factories were relocated to Ghana and South Africa from Lagos. Was it Warri violence that induced the exit of Dunlop and Michelin as well?

Zik Gbemre

June 20, 2023