Abonnema Wharf Residents Carpet Firms Over Unemployment

Residents of Abonnema Wharf Community in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State have expressed worry over the attitude of companies operating in the area towards employment, saying that despite all appeals made to this effect, no youth from the community has been employed by the oil firms.
The companies are Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Bulk Oil and Gas Company Limited, Designo Oil and Gas Company Limited, Ever Oil and Gas Company Limited, Shorelink Oil and Gas Company Limited and Century Energy Company Limited.
Speaking in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt shortly after he led thousands of All Progressives Congress (APC) members to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, the spokesperson of the community, Comrade Igoniko Gogo-Abite, said “we have been begging the companies to employ our people but to no avail, so we are appealing to our Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to intervene”.
According to him, “instead of employing those that are suffering the brunt of their operations, the companies prefer engaging outsiders even as we have qualified persons”, pointing out that the oil and gas depots (tank farms) were threats to the lives of the people residing in the area.
He noted that residents of Abonnema Wharf community were no longer threat to the security of Port Harcourt, adding that the area had been peaceful since the inception of the Wike-led administration.
In his comment, the leader of the community, Mr. Alalibo Thomas, who described the governor as God-sent, assured him of the people’s unflinching support, saying “there is now peace in the area”.
He appealed for employment of the people, skills acquisition schemes, soft loans to empower the people in various economic ventures and the rehabilitation of the area to give it a facelift.
In his remarks, Public Relations Officer of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) in the area, Comrade Chukuladi Ahiakwo, commended Governor Nyesom Wike for his developmental strides, pointing out that the proclaimed change by APC has failed as the party had nothing to show both at the federal and state levels.
Ahiakwo, however, advised the state chief executive to focus attention on employment, manpower, infrastructure development as many were being frustrated due to hardship and hunger, and enjoined the APC decampees to remain steadfast and focused in order to benefit from the PDP government in the state.

Shedie Okpara