The President of Ijaw Youth Congress, Jonathan Lokpobiri has alleged that the Islamic Bank is funding the Morocco Nigeria gas pipeline project with over $2Bn. He questioned why this project was signed without consultation or involvement of the Ijaw people.
He argued that the project is a clear example of the government’s disregard for the rights and interests of the indigenous people, and they are determined to oppose it. He stated that the Ijaw peoole are upset that the project involves piping gas over 5,600km to Morocco, yet the government cannot find it feasible to create employment opportunities for the Ijaw people by using local resources to manufacture Liquefied Natural Gas. He lamented that projects that could benefit Nigerians and mostly Niger Deltans are often abandoned.
He said in an interview with Arise TV from 2:55, ”They are willing to pipe a gas of about 5,600km to Dakhla in Morocco and they cannot find a product of brass pipeline so that employment can be generated in Ijaw land. We are completely opposed to get project being considered an elephant project. The projects that would benefit Nigerians are always ostensibly abandoned for reasons that are only known to those who are saddled with those responsibility.
But the question here is that if they could not execute properly projects that can be done with far less amount in terms of resources required, how can I be convinced as an Ijaw man that you are interested in my community development? You are piping out the gas under my land without my people being involved. The Islamic Bank is the one funding this project with over $2Bn and nobody was consulted. And meanwhile this project has been signed because Buhari Was President and resources under our land ostensibly belongs to the Federal Government.”….S££–Môrê