Chevron has robbed us of our employment rights, KOMBOT insists

The President of Okodiagbene, Ogbudugbudu, Makaraba, Benikrukru, Okoyitoru and Tsekelewu, KOMBOT, Comrade Olaye Tare, has insisted that Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, has robbed them of employment rights. 

Comrade Tare, told Fresh Angle International that he reiterated the allegation, Wednesday December 15, during a tripartite meeting held at EGCDF Office in Warri, Delta State, between officials of Chevron Nigeria Limited, the leadership of Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities’ Development Foundation, EGCDF and KOMBOT.

He allegedly said during the meeting: "Chevron Nigeria Limited, has been hostile, unjust to our people and not friendly with us, record has shown that Chevron Nigeria Limited, has never employed any graduate from Egbema and Gbaramatu Kingdom, on their own accord and it tells us that Chevron is not friendly with our people."

Comrade Tare, stated their demands to include: “The reinstatement of Comrade Timmy O. Okirika, employment of 200 deficit regular staff employment slots for indigenes of Egbema and Gbaramatu Kingdom, in line with the 1998, 1999, 2002 MoU and 2005-2020 GMoU, review of LCC strategy and guidelines hiring process, for host communities’ indigenes, upward review of funding of the Ijaw RDC (EGCDF) GMoU process as well as increase in the number of scholarship awards and upward review of scholarship for secondary and tertiary institutions. Guaranteed slots for National Youth Service Corps and Industrial Training Fund programmes.”

"KOMBOT has been tagged by Chevron to be a toothless dog, but  I am here to reaffirm it, that KOMBOT can bark if need be, with the template KOMBOT plan to operate in the next four years, there will be no sleeping moment for KOMBOT. We are ready to work in synergy with Chevron and if not in accord, we can bark and bite at the same time.

"If Chevron should employ 1,000 graduates now, they will still remove them unjustly, that is the main reason the reinstatement of Comrade Timmy O. Okirika, is very important.

"As the President of KOMBOT, I must ensure that injustice must be corrected in my tenure, Chevron has robbed us of our employment rights, if there is no space, Chevron should create it."

"There is no meaningful development in our community, there is no potable drinking water, we reported severely on air pollution, but nothing was done, no good infrastructural development. The little development Chevron has done, there is no maintenance," he reportedly emphasized. 

Fresh Angle International understands that Mr. Amos Okoro and Mr. Happy Apai of the Policy, Government and Public Affairs, PGPA department of Chevron Nigeria Limited, were present during the meeting. 

Mr. Apai, was quoted to have told the KOMBOT delegation, during the meeting that Chevron has an agreement with EGCDF in terms of funding and could not negotiate with KOMBOT as it affects the review of funding, “because there is already a document that regulate that” and  KOMBOT cannot take over the role of the EGCDF.

The Chairman of Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities’ Development Foundation, EGCDF, Chief Joseph Wuruyai, who reportedly presided over the meeting, allegedly appealed to KOMBOT to bear with them, "because we are going to discuss, even if we fight today and somebody dies, the rest will still sit down and discuss, in order to agree on a term. So let's use this method to discuss our disagreements and agree. 

Our Correspondent understands that the Acting General Secretary of KOMBOT, Comrade Timmy O. Okirika, also spoke during the meeting. 

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