Group Seeks RSG’s Intervention In Dry Dock Project

The Rivers State Govern
ment has been called upon to consider the need to urgently intervene in the controversial move by the  Nigeria Liquefied  Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited to site its planned Dry Dock yard in Lagos State.
President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Sokudo Sara-Igbe  made the appeal in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt recently.
He said the project which the operators are hell bent to site in Lagos was originally meant for Rivers State.
Sara-Igbe, noted that even the H.B Block project by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in Lagos was also meant for Rivers State and urged the state government to insist on the return of the two projects.
According to him, the projects will upon their return, improve  the lives of Rivers people and the Niger Deltans at large.
He hinted that before now, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the dry dock project had been conducted and wondered why NLNG should  site the project  outside its area of operation.
The apex youth body which  also accused  SPDC  and NLNG  of sidelining indigenes in its  employment policies and programmes, said out of 12,600 workers in shell only about 43 are Rivers indigenes.
He also alleged that NLNG, gave only 12 slots to Rivers people, out of its 4,000 work force.
The youth body also, challenged the oil companies to make public their employment  data as to prove the true situation of things meanwhile, the permanent secretary ministry of youth development, Mrs Clara Nmebe, has called on the youths to rise up and fight all kinds of dishonourable  irresponsible  and lawless behavior among young people.
She insisted  that following the path of honour and hardwork will  lay  foundations  for a better future.
Earlier, Nemebo has lauded the Wike-led  government over its  determination to develop  the youths, citing the recent scholarship payment and others as a  case study.