Few months after its inauguration, the 7th Rivers State House of Assembly appears set to dispense its legislative duties with clout and political will.

In what could be regarded as its first litimus test, the House recently demonstrated a bold move to expand its legislative over sight function to cover sensitive areas for public concern and good governance.

Interestingly, the state also by its strategic location and enormous economic potentials play host to multinational companies operating with divest business concern and interests.

As one of its oversight functions, the House recently moved to check the activities of these multinationals, in terms of compliance to international best practices, and corporate social responsibilities to their host communities.

The House also as a form of appraisal resolved to access the extent of implementation of the State Employment Law, by the various companies operating in the state.

The Rivers State Employment law, known as Junior Workers (Enforcement) Law 2000, stipulates in part that, “all companies or persons having a place of business in Rivers State and having a total minimum of staff of twenty persons shall employ indigenes of Rivers State into junior staff positions in such places or business”. The law was a decisive policy of the Assembly to reduce unemployment in the state, but investigations reveal that Rivers indigenes are yet to fully benefit from the policy, due to the skewed practices of multi-national companies.

The House inquisition therefore stem mostly from public outcry over alleged violation of the policy by the companies.

The issue was brought on the floor of the House recently, through a motion moved by the Deputy Leader, Hon. Ewor Nname, representing Ahoada East Constituency 1.

Hon. Ewor drew the attention of the House to the crisis of unemployment and environmental pollution in the state, following the failure of multinationals to respond to their corporate social responsibilities.

The deputy leader, noted that most of the multinationals deliberately defy the Global Memorandum of Understanding, (GMoU), signed with their host communities, and other civilized norms and practices which they strictly comply with at their foreign roots. The fallout of this indiscreet actions according to the lawmaker, is a “devastated environment and denigrating poverty in the Niger Delta”.

Hon. Ewor was explicit in his prayers as he specifically pointed out the companies to face the scrutiny of the House.

They include, Shell Petroleum Development Company, (SPDC), AGIP, Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, (NLNG) Total E&P, Intel Services, Eleme Petrochemicals, Saipem, Schlumberger, BJ Services, Grinaker, Chevron, Trans Ocean, Halliburton, Ibeto Cement, Dangote Cement, and ZB Joint Ventures.

Hon. Ewor among other prayers, urged the House to call on the multinationals to provide the lists of Rivers people in their employment from the date of effect of the law.

Considering the importance of the issue, Hon. Ewor, said the Assembly should give it deserving attention, as glossing over the matter would amount to compromising the fate of Rivers people.

The Deputy Leader’s motion was substantiated by mother motion by Hon. Martins Amaewhule representing, Obio/Akpor constituency 1. Hon. Amaewhule presented Pabod Breweries, against Rivers indigenes the case of slave labour, allegedly perpetrated in its employment referring to a petition from the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, Pabod Breweries branch, Hon. Amaewhule informed the House of the allegations of arbitrary sacking and discriminating salary structure against Rivers indigenes working in Pabod Breweries.

The two motions received the overwhelming support of members and they gave a unanimous consent through a bloc vote.

Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, who presided over the session constituted a 10-man adhoc committee to investigate the allegations against the companies and report back to the Assembly. The adhoc committee is headed by the House Leader, Hon. Chidi Lloyd.

Public reactions have since trailed the move by the Assembly to check the activities of companies operating in the state.

Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in Rivers State, Mr. Jerry Needam, had in a press statement lauded the state assembly over its moves. The Rivers State ACN spokesman urged the Assembly to make its investigations thorough and devoid of any iota of compromise, and ensure that defaulting companies are brought to book.

Needam who berated some of the mult-inationals over their non-conformist status, said the state House of Assembly owe the people of Rivers State a sense of responsibility to enforce compliance on their part, especially to the Rivers state employment laws.

A stakeholder and concerned Rivers citizen, Jacob Frank Peters, described the move by the state assembly as a “test of legislative will”.

Peters told The Tide in an interview that is was ironical for qualified Rivers indigenes to roam the streets without jobs, despite the presence of multinational companies all over the state.

He said the employment law in the state should be reviewed to create opportunities for Rivers people to work also in administrative cadres of the various companies.

According to Peters, “issues of environmental neglect in the state should be given prime attention by the lawmakers, because the people depend entirely on their natural environment for survival”. He added that above every consideration; “the business concern of  the multinational companies is of paramount interest to them, and they will stop at nothing to get their way”.

An environmental sociologist, Dr. Steve Wodu, said the Rivers State House of Assembly should be proactive in their enforcement of the employment law. According to him, “short of the unwinking vigilance of a no mean institution like the House of Assembly, the companies will continue to operate on double standard”. The environmentalist also cautioned the lawmakers against the antics of the oil firms.

As the adhoc committee commences its sittings Rivers people are following up the unfolding event to see the extent the scrutiny of the state assembly will check the excesses of the multi-nationals.

Reports however indicate traces of intractability on the part of most of the multi-national companies, as revealed in the manner of their response to the invitation of the committee. Many of the companies, were said to have outrightly shunned the invitation of the committee or sent representatives other than the management of the companies.

Analists believe that if the Assembly fails to confront the powerful multinationals with political will, then the inquisition of the House would have been dead on arrival.

Taneh Beemene