The Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), Mr Shehu Malami, has enjoined Eleme and Okrika host communities of the company to always explore peaceful negotiation in resolving differences with the firm.
Speaking at the refinery complex during the graduation of 55 beneficiaries of its Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (YESAP), Malami said that host communities of national assets should ensure they protect such assets from attacks, stressing that such assets also belong to them.
“Host communities should ensure that oil and gas installations in their locality are protected to guarantee safety of their environment,” he said.
He assured that PHRC will continue to discharge its corporate social responsibility to Eleme and Okrika that are its host communities.
The managing director said that the graduates were the second batch of trainees in the YESAP programme sponsored by the refinery company to empower youth of the host communities.
Malami explained that the beneficiaries were trained in welding and fabrication, catering, fashion, designing and hair dressing, information and communications technology and interlocking, masonry, block moulding, carpentry and government certified centres.
Appealing to the graduates to put to good use the skills acquired during the six months training, Malami said within the period of the training, the participants were paid monthly stipends for transportation and feeding.
“I hope that you will join the league of successful graduates of the first edition who are making impact in their chosen vocations,” he said.
The graduates were handed starter packs to enable them take off on their own.
They got welding machines, deep freezers, gas cookers, industrial sewing machines, laptops.
Some of the graduates, who spoke to newsmen, expressed gratitude to PHRC for the training, promising to put knowledge gained to good use.