Aggrieved youth of Ugborodo community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, have threatened to shut down the Chevron facility located in the community over allegations of marginalization of Ugborodo indigenes by the American oil firm.
Addressing journalists at the end of an emergency executive meeting in Warri today, the youth under the umbrella of Ugnorodo Graduates Association (UGA), declared that having exhausted every peaceful means to dialogue with Chevron, that they are left with no other option than to embark on a mass action against Chevron to press home their demands.
President of UGA, Clifford Oritsetsegbemi, called on Chevron to give 70 percent employment slots to the youth of Ugnorodo community, drawing the attention of oil company to the protracted neglect of Ugborodo indigenes involved in the vocational training program that are yet to be granted employment; including those yet to be converted to permanent staff.
Oritsetsegbemi however, charged Chevron to dialogue with aggrieved youth of Ugborodo community, to work out a realistic process of addressing their perceived grievances.
He advised the oil company to revert back to the model adopted in dealing with issues relating to host communities in the past, where the employment of Itsekiri youth into Chevron was effectively localized,thereby promoting peace and unity between the host community and the oil firm.
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Oritsetsegbemi said: ”If NLNG could respect the right to employment for Bonny indigenes in giving them acceptable percentage as host community, what stops Chevron from doing same in our land?
“However, with this development, mass action against Chevron is the only option left for us, to shut down their operations in our land”.
Secretary of UGA, David Ejeh, faulted the idea of Chevron subjecting Ugborodo indigenes to the same aptitude test with the general public, undermining the fact that they are the major and foremost host community to Chevron, describing the method as unacceptable.
He urged Chevron to respect the local content law and come to terms with the peculiarities of its host community, adding that “as it stands, we are already mobilizing our people for a mass action against Chevron”.
