Representatives of the Olu of Warri, on Tuesday called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Itsekiri oil producing communities.
This is as a result of the alleged marginalization and neglect by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and its Joint Venture partners.
A representative of the monarch, Prince Collins Edema, made the call at a world press conference held in Warri, Delta State with the title, ‘The continuous punishment of the Itsekiri nation by the NNPCL and its JV partners, a time to act’.
He said that the Itsekiris were the least favoured in terms of employment despite parading well qualified graduates.
He appealed to the President to prevail on the NNPCL to address the lop-sidedness in contract awards, calling for the relocation of Chevron headquarters back to Warri or Escravos as a way of instilling confidence among the host communities and NNPCL and it JV partners.
Edema said, “It is sad that the after 61 years of oil exploration in our land, the only thing we have to show for it is environmental degradation from gas flaring associated with oil drilling, polluted water and aquatic life, washing off of our shore line into the ocean, lack of basic amenities like potable water, etc.
“In fact, there is no corporate social responsibility from the NNPCL, It JV partners and subsidiaries.
“Even when such exist, the amount allocated for CSR is meagre compared to what should be given to us. The Itsekiri people are the least favoured in terms of employment by the NNPCL and its JV Partners despite the fact that Itsekiri are the most educated group in sub-saharan Africa.
“The Itsekiri people are poorly employed even when there are a lot of eligible graduates in all fields of studies and this is evident in the fact that in 2008, Chevron Nigeria Limited refused employment of about 120 successful applicants in the vocational training program citing that those that passed were too many.
“Ironically, since the return to democracy since 1999, till date the NNPCL has not employed any Itsekiri graduate as direct staff despite conducting recruitment in 2006, 2008 , 2011 and 2019.
“In the light of all we have stated, we call on Tinubu to help prevail on the management of NNPCL led by melee Kyari to give special consideration to the Itsekiri people in terms of employment even beyond what is captured in the oil and gas industry development contract act both in the NNPC, it subsidiaries and JV partners operating in Itsekiri land.
“We call on Tinubu to issue an executive order to NNPC and its JV partners concerning employment of indigenes of host community by specifying a particular 60 percent to be given by the project promoter whose areas the projects are located and is definitely not limited to the Itsekiri alone
“We wish to call on the Commander in Chief to call the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited to order concerning the recent bogus service contract employment currently brewing unrest within their area of operations and for recruitment concerning project Orora to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
“We wish to call on the President and Commander in Chief to prevail on the NNPCL through NNPC foundation and JV partners to give special consideration to Itsekiri oil bearing communities in term of projects especially in the provision of health care to save our pregnant women from dying , provision of portable drinking water and electricity.”