By Our Correspondent
A group under the aegis of National Association of Ilaje Graduates, NAIG, has threatened to shut down Chevron Nigeria Limited operations in their area if the their demand for were not met.
The group joined their Ijaw and Itsekiri brothers to reject Chevron Nigeria Limited recently allotted Ogere Vocational Training Programme, stating that the entire 35 person who participated in the interview should be admitted into the training.
In a press statement signed by the President and Secretary of NAIG, Mr Ikuesan Ademola and Temidunmi Adeyemi Akins respectively, and made available to our correspondent, they stated that Illaje people completely rejects the 12 slots allocated to them.
According to the group the 12 slots from 35 persons that went for the interview is inadequate and unaccepted, calling on the leadership of the Ilaje Regional Development Commission, IRDC, to swing into action to address the injustice and underdevelopment of Illaje people of Ondo and Delta States.
“We the entire Ilaje graduates and Ilaje Youth Congress are using this opportunity to inform the General Manager Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron Nigeria Ltd to invite the entire Ilaje graduates that attended the interview to resume at the VTP6 programme in Ogere, Ogun State for the sake of peace.
“Chevron Nigeria ltd (CNL) should call all the graduates that participated in the interview from the three ethnic graduates’ bodies – Itsekiri, Ijaw and the Ilaje. If not, there is going to be a great problem, CNL should wait for us, we are coming. A word is enough for the wise”, the statement added.
It also described a situation where provision was not made for transportation , accommodation and feeding for those who attended the recent chevron vocational training programme interview VTP6 as barbaric, inhuman and falling short of global standard practices by oil multinationals.
They alleged that the people of Illaje had been marginalized, deprived and shortchanged since the inception of the programme, adding that the hardship facing their communities was caused by oil and gas exploration and exploitation operation by Chevron and other oil companies operating in their lands.
It said: “Chevron has conducted over five vocation training programmes VTP6 at Ogere and abroad during which over 500 personnel have been trained for employment with the entire constituting less than 20 persons from the said figure , not to mention the fact that only one (1) person from Ilaje have been employed by chevron direct job opening over the years.
