Local Content Act: Itsekiri, Ijaw, Ilaje Graduates Threaten Shutdown of Chevron Facilities in Delta, Ondo

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Graduates of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje ethnic nationalities have threatened to occupy Chevron facilities in Delta and Ondo States over alleged flagrant disregard for the local content act by the oil firm.

The graduates under the aegis of National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG); Egbema-Gbaramatu Graduates Employment Front (KOMBOT) and National Association of Ilaje Graduates (NAIG) in Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) areas of operation in Delta and Ondo States, have consequently given the oil firm a seven-day ultimatum to comply with the local content act and halt further recruitments pending the resolution of their demands.

The graduate bodies demands were the outcome of an emergency meeting held in Warri yesterday and therefore appealed to President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the management of the Oil firm to halt its ongoing staff recruitment exercise until the company guarantees them 70% of the employment opportunities.

The bodies, otherwise referred to as the 3Is, in their resolutions demanded that all host communities’ contract staff, including VT 5 and VT 6 graduates, be converted as staff of Chevron Nigeria Limited while contractors of host communities be given right of first refusal in the award of drilling contracts, well head maintenance, production and procurement as well as the reinstatement of Comrade (Engr.) Timmy Okeoghene Okirika, who was terminated by CNL in purported breach of the RDCs, GMoU, PENGASAN CBA, Labour Act, ILO Convention and the National Assembly and Federal Ministry of Labour Resolutions and orders.”

The graduate leaders, in a communique signed by the President and Secretary of NAIG, Esiategiwa Donald Mino and Mrs. Tetsoma Neyin Uruneden; President and Secretary of KOMBOT, Tare Olaye and Charles Kin as well as the President and Secretary of National Association of llaje Graduates, Ikuesan Ademola Kelly and Temidunmi Akins Adeyemi, respectively, expressed displeasure with flagrant disregard for the local content act by the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited.

The communique stated: “Outcome of our emergency meeting, left us grieving and rearing to disrupt the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited, because the Local Content Act of Nigeria, was not put into cognizance in CNL recruitment exercise.

“It will be heartbreaking to know that events of the past few years, have been characterized by the deliberate and blatant disregard for the opinions, suggestions and aspirations of our people, thereby, leading to the shrinking of our confidence in the commitment of Chevron Nigeria Limited to the peaceful resolution of the issues at stake.”

The graduate bodies recalled the Interview, Screening, Test, Examination and Selection Processes in which their members performed better than CNL’s preferred or anointed candidates, was quickly and deliberately set aside and cancelled to prevent the Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Ilaje from gaining meaningful employment into Chevron.

It noted: “Chevron Vocational Training Program (VT): This programme was meant to recruit and train candidates to be converted into Chevron staff after successful completion. In 2008, huge number of our people (Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Ilaje) successfully went through the selection process, but only few persons were called for the training at Ogere, Ogun State, in 2013, after prolonged protest and confrontation by the host communities.

“This programme, which paved the way for our people to be employed in various roles, was deliberately stopped by Chevron in 2016.

“Our people who successfully completed the Chevron Vocational Training Program (VTP 5 – 2013 & VTP 6 – 2014) are yet to be converted to Chevron Permanent Staff, after Eleven (11) years training completion and working as Contract Staff.

“These persons are overdue to be converted to Direct Chevron employees, having owned the cognate experience to perform excellently in their various roles. Instead of converting them, Chevron would secretly recruit to fill existing positions.”

The graduate bodies maintained that there were thousands of eligible and brilliant graduates of Itsekiri, Ijaw, and llaje, idling because Chevron would prefer to engage them with short term jobs, probably few days, weeks and months, instead of full-time opportunities that were sustainable adding “Chevron has exclusively reserve professions positions such as legal, engineering, medical, accountants, IT analyst and others for their cartel.

“The oppression faced by our people and the current situation defeats the spirit and intent of the Nigerian Local Content Law. The provisions of section 28(2) of the Law explicitly encouraged and authorized companies to employ personnel from their areas of significant operations. It specifically states thus: ‘The Board shall ensure that the operator or project promoter shall maintain a reasonable number of personnel from the areas it has significant operation’.

“In pursuit of the Local Content Act, we have held series of peace meetings between our Regional Development Committees (RDCs) now Host Community Development Trust (HCDTs) and Chevron, which yielded no meaningful result, with Chevron Nigeria Limited, insisting on provoking violence”, they added.