Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa says International Oil Companies (lOCs), particularly Shell Petroleum Development Company, have been responsible for the environmental degradation in the state.
Diri disclosed this at the Annual Convention and Fund Raising of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) of the Americas, held in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Sunday.
Newsmen reports that the congress has the theme: “Ijaw-Nation: Nurturing Partnership through Symbiotic Relationships Towards Homeland, Social, and Economic Development’’.
The governor specifically fingered Shell as a major culprit in the degradation of the Bayelsa environment.
In his remarks, Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), sought the support of ljaw people in joining hands with President Bola Tinubu on the advocacy against oil theft and environmental pollution.
The Minister urged Nigerians in diaspora to support the efforts of the government, so that the environment can be preserved.
He appealed to ljaw people in diaspora to tell Nigerians in Niger Delta region to stop pipeline vandalisation.
Earlier, the President General of INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said the choice of the theme of this year’s event is very apt and captivating.
According to him, the theme seeks to identify and address the divergent means, methodologies and strategies of rejigging, mobilisng, galvanising, repositioning credible and symbiotic linkages as well as partnership among the Ijaws in the Americas and others in diaspora.