Itsekiri, Ijaw, Ilaje graduates reject contract extension for 151 VTP trainees

The leadership of Itsekiri,Ijaw and Ilaje graduates under the aegis of the 3i Coalition, have vehemently reject the three months contract extension allegedly offered to the 151 graduate trainees of VTP 5/OTP 2 and VTP 6 by Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, insisting Chevron" must convert all 151 trainees who have been under slave labour for over three years".                           

In a joint statement signed by President of National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG, Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, President of National Association of Ilaje Graduates, NAIG, Ikuesan Ademola Kelly and President of Egbema-Gbaramatu Graduates Employment Front, KOMBOT, Yabrade Moses, the association warned that it will not be dissuaded over alleged" move by Chevron to intimidate, threaten or harass our leadership".                        

The statement by the 3i released Tuesday July 10,claimed that Chevron has derailed" from its basic tenet of integrity" and the company's "Nigeria Mid-Africa Strategic Business Unit Operations and Maintenance Training Organization Governance Model page 22; 5.4 which clearly states that the vocational training programme, VTP is designed for new employees and anticipated to be of three years duration".

While noting that the expectation is that most personnel will achieve the level 3 standard within 2 years of being assigned to the field, the graduate bodies accused Chevron of" refusing to let-go the trainees who have managed to get employment in other companies".                       

The General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, PGPA Chevron Nigeria Limited, Esimaje Brikinn in a swift reaction, stated," CNL did not guarantee that it would hire the trainees at the time of graduation from the programme".                 

According to Brikinn,Chevron's "effort to sponsor trainees for the Operations and Maintenance (O & M) Vocational Training Programme (VTP) was a corporate social responsibility initiative intended to help build the skills and capacity of the participants from the local communities".

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