Frank Efe
The people of Iwhrekan Community in Ughelli South Local Government area of Delta State have decried the continued non-implementation of the Local Content Act of the Federal Government, just as they lamented that youths in the community are not being employed by operators of the Otorogun Gas plant located in their community.
The newly sworn-in President General of the community, Mr.George Djukpan made this known, during his inaugural speech at the occasion of the swearing in ceremony of the newly elected Executives at Iwhrenkan town.
Mr. Djukpan noted that since Shell handed over to NPDC last year, no graduate in the community has been employed as a staff in the establishment.
While appealing to the state government to wade into the matter, the new President General of Iwhrekan community promised his people that he is going to do all that is within the ambit of the law to ensure that graduates in the community get employment in the gas plant.
He added that his tenure is going to give priority attention to capacity building and human capital development, noting that the executive will also concentrate on peace building which according to him, is paramount for any development.
He said; “One of the main objective of this administration is to partner with government, nongovernmental organizations and other interventionist agencies such as NDDC, DESOPADEC, local government, etc. At the moment very little is known about us outside our community and it is important that we engage in advocacy visit to these agencies and bodies to market our activities and programmes with a view to persuading them to buy into the programmes of the council.”
Speaking to our correspondent in an interview, Mr. Djukpan said; “If you look at this community, opportunities are not given to the graduates here to work in the gas plant. So I want to make it as a duty to ensure that most of our graduates are employed. The first thing I am going to do is talk with the State Government and NPDC and let them know our pains.”
“Since the creation of this gas plant in our community no graduate has been employed. When this gas plant was commissioned by General Ibrahim Babangida in 1989, he promised us that he will ensure that youths in community gets directs power from the gas plant. But up till this moment that has not been done,” he added.
Other Executive members sworn-in include Mr. Kpako Gbemre (Vice President,) Friday Ogba (Secretary), Mr. Victor Oluwadare (PRO), Mr. Bimode Solomon (Assistant Secretary), Mr. Gabriel Ologurei (Financial Secretary), Malam Goldsmith (Treasurer), and Mr. Ugbeje Doghor, (Social).
