TREMOR IN DELTA OVER CHEVRON's ATTITUDE ON JOBS

THE alleged hardline posture of Chevron, an American oil giant operating in Nigeria, on employment of Ijaw youths, is currently leading the oil corporation on a head-on collision with community youths in Delta State.

At the moment, Delta youths are planning to disrupt the operations of the oil corporation in a matter of days if the company refuses to shift ground on the issue of unemployed Ijaw graduates.

The Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) gave Chevron a seven-day ultimatum to provide jobs for Ijaw youths from Egbema and Gbaramatu.

Spoke persons for the group, Nelly Emma, John Sailor and Mukoro Stanley, in an online statement to AkanimoReports on Tuesday, they said they will not give the American oil corporation any reminder as their ultimatum expires this coming Friday.

''Chevron has grossly marginalised Ijaw graduates from Egbema and Gbaramatu in the area of employment'', the group said.

The group is pressing Chevron for the employment of 39 Egbema, and Gbaramatu applicants they interviewed for jobs offer. The 39 applicants were successful in the oil firm's Ogere training programme and interviewed for the Project Operating Team (POT), for the Escravos-Gas-To-Liquid (EGTL) Project.

''We are very sad about the treatment of unemployed Ijaw graduates from Egbema and Gbaramatu by Chevron. We are aware that the company has been employing applicants from other parts of Nigeria

''We are ready for a total show-down with Chevron in the days ahead. We are accordingly calling on Chevron to immediately address this matter or risk another round of communal upheaval'', the group said.

Continuing, they accused the oil giant of blind folding oil-bearing communities with their questionable Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), and with the Egbema/Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF).

Though the oil company is keeping sealed lips on these issues, an official in Warri, however, told our correspondent that they are a good corporate citizen. According to the official, ''Chevron is always willing to address community issues, and committed to its GMoU''.

But the Niger Delta group is not persuaded. They alleged that Chevron has been imposing their fronts on communities through the instrumentality of the GMoU.

''Chevron has stopped embarking on capital projects and if it does at all, what we see are sub-standard projects and we hereby implore the company to suspend the GMoU forthwith. The GMoU is no longer serving the interest of the two Ijaw communities, but that of a few selfish leaders'', the group said. ENDS