A Niger Delta former militant leader, Mr. Endurance Amagbein, has publicly opposed the Ijaw Youth Council’s (IYC) demand for the removal of Mr. Bayo Ojulari from his position as Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, Amagbein, who is also known as “General” and “Adaka Boro the Second,” cautioned the IYC leadership against politicizing the challenges faced by the Niger Delta people, particularly concerning the renewal of pipeline surveillance contracts.He asserted that Mr. Ojulari was appointed by President Bola Tinubu based on his qualifications to advance the nation’s oil and gas industry. Amagbein expressed his disapproval of the IYC’s recent stance, suggesting the group has strayed from its core mandate by engaging in partisan politics related to oil surveillance.According to him, the IYC’s call for Ojulari’s dismissal stems from his refusal to compromise the NNPC Ltd’s established policy standards, contrary to certain expectations.While Amagbein stated he agrees with the IYC on the need for reforms within the NNPCL—specifically advocating for the decentralization of surveillance contracts among stakeholders across various Niger Delta states—he strongly condemned the demand for Ojulari’s outright removal, describing it as “premature and political.”He countered the IYC’s claims by highlighting that the Tinubu administration has appointed several individuals from the Niger Delta to key national positions, including Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as MD/CEO of the NDDC, and Chief Dennis Otuaru as Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.Amagbein alleged that “oil politics” has influenced the IYC, with its leaders allowing surveillance contractors to dictate the youth body’s policy statements. He lamented that the current IYC leadership had disregarded the tradition of consulting major regional stakeholders before making sensitive pronouncements of national importance.He urged the IYC to return to its non-partisan roots and shun the agenda of certain surveillance contractors, advising them to seek the counsel of stakeholders to secure broad-based support for their actions.Concluding his statement, Amagbein called on regional stakeholders to support President Tinubu’s development plans for the Niger Delta rather than causing distractions.This statement from Amagbein follows a recent protest by the IYC in Abuja, where the group accused Mr. Ojulari of non-performance, financial mismanagement, and the systemic neglect of the Niger Delta region, which it stated has failed to see visible benefits from its role as the mainstay of Nigeria’s oil wealth.