Itsekiri, Ijaw, Ilaje graduates to Tinubu: Prevail on Chevron to halt staff recruitment process, obey Local Content Act

Graduates of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje ethnic Nationalities, under the auspices 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 appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, to halt its ongoing staff recruitment exercise, until the company guarantees them 70% of the employment opportunities.

Fresh Angle International, can report that the call by the graduate bodies, was fallout of an emergency meeting they held in Warri, Delta State, Monday October 7.  

The graduate bodies, otherwise referred to as the 3is, are also demanding the following: “All host communities' contract staff, including VT 5 and VT 6 graduates, should be converted as staff of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Contractors of host communities, should 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 their petition signed by the President and Secretary of NAIG, Comr. Esiategiwa Donald Mino and Mrs. Tetsoma Neyin Uruneden, President and Secretary of KOMBOT, Comr. Tare Olaye and Comr. Charles Kin as well as the President and Secretary of National Association of llaje Graduates, NAIG, Ikuesan Ademola Kelly and Temidunmi Akins Adeyemi, respectively, averred: “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 Interview, Screening, Test, Examination and Selection Processes in which our people happened to perform better than CNL's preferred (anointed) candidates, was quickly and deliberately set aside and cancelled to prevent the Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Ilaje from gaining meaningful employment into Chevron.

 “Chevron Vocational Training Program (VT): This programme was meant to recruit and train candidates to be converted into Chevron 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.

“We have 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 are sustainable. Chevron has exclusively reserve professions positions such as legal, engineering, medical, accountants, IT analyst, etc, 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.

“Commissions like DESOPADEC, EDSOPADEC and OSOPADEC, adhere to the Local Content Policy as regards appointments, recruitment and award of contracts.

“In CNL, there is skill acquisition and scholarships for host communities, to complement the human capital development of the catchment areas of operations. Why is the issue of employment different?

“Why is CNL continuously insisting that the clause ‘Equal Opportunity Employee’ must live a life of perpetuity in the Memorandum of Understanding (Mo) of the different Regional Development Committees, now called HCDT?

“Your Excellency, at this juncture, we will like to refer you to the professional approach of peace-loving companies like Total and Mobil. They always demonstrate commitment to the provisions of section 28(2) of the Nigerian Content Law, whenever they want to recruit new staff, by indicating the following caveat for certain employment opportunities: ‘UNLESS YOU ARE FROM THE HOST COMMUNITIES - DO NOT APPLY.’ Evidence abounds in the advert placement of the Guardian, Tuesday, April 10, 2012 on pages 74 and 75, and Vanguard Newspaper of Tuesday April 10 on page 20.

“Mr. President, if Chevron Nigeria Limited fails to accede to the aforementioned demands at your intervention before the expiration of seven days ultimatum, effective Monday October 14, 2024, we would have no other option, but to peacefully occupy all Chevron facilities in our domain by grounding CNL Operations in Delta and Ondo States, pending when our demands are met.”

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