Itsekiri, Ijaw, Ilaje graduates demand meeting with management of Chevron after botched Warri parley

A coalition of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje graduates, also known as the '3Is' have demanded an urgent meeting with the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, after staging a walkout from a parley held with the company’s representatives last week in Warri.

Anxiety started mounting when stakeholders under the auspices of Niger Delta Oil Producing Communities, NDOPCS, earlier called for physical examination for qualified participants in Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje rural communities, as a result of " total shutdown of Chevron Graduate Aptitude test " held Saturday October 26.

NDOPCS, had claimed that majority of the candidates that participated in the virtual aptitude test, alleged that the system was completely shut-down for over two hours, causing unpleasant disruption in the exercise.

The Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje graduates in a joint statement made available to newsmen in Warri, weekend, threatened to shut down CNL operations in their territories, over “the company's misappropriation of job opportunities, all to the detriment of host communities.”

In the statement e-signed by President, Egbema-Gbaramatu, Ogulagha Graduates Employment Front, (KOMBOT) Comr. Tare Olaye, President, National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG) Comr. Esiategiwa Donald Mino and President, National Association of Ilaje Graduates (NAIG) Ikuesan Ademola Kelly, the 3Is, complained bitterly about what they described as “CNL's outrageous policy of neglecting qualified graduates from their host communities every time it comes to the employment of their workforce.”

They called on CNL to halt its ongoing nationwide aptitude test, “until the host communities are sure of an agreed position.”

According to the graduates, the meeting convened in Warri, Delta State, October 31 by Chevron Nigeria Limited, was aborted after “the various Chevron Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs) requested for the parley, in support of our position.”

They added: “After delaying us for over two hours, advertently or inadvertently, Chevron Officials eventually arrived. The Warri Area Manager, who led the CNL team, made some flimsy excuses of personal emergency.

“The HCDTs and 3Is, saw the company's behaviour as utter disregard for leaders of the host communities. Another unfortunate incident perpetrated by CNL that disrupted the meeting was the dramatic introduction of certain individuals, who were not captured in earlier correspondence with the HCDTs and 3Is.

“These individuals were asked to be part of a meeting that was restricted to the HCDTs and 3Is. We see this as a divide and rule tactics to cause ill feelings and quarrel amongst us.

“The third challenge was when the CNL delegation, was asked if they could make decisions on behalf of the company. But they bluntly responded in the negative.

“It was at that point that the 3Is and the HCDTs delegation, demanded for a General Manager with decision-making capacity, to lead the Chevron team.

“Our demands:

1. Chevron management should immediately reschedule a meeting before Nov 8, 2024.

2. The Chevron team should be led by a minimum of a General Manager.

3. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, should call Chevron management to order and do the needful immediately.

4. The NUPRC and NCDMB management, should call Chevron management to order and request them to do the needful.

“If Chevron fails to call for a meeting after Nov 8, 2024, we shall carry out simultaneous protests in the Escravos Tank Farm, Warri Area Office and all field locations in Delta and Ondo states.

“We shall shut down Chevron Operations nationwide.”

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