Employment: Ogoni Youth Give Ultimatum To Firms

A group under the aegis of Ogoni Youth Development Initiatives (OYDI) has accused companies operating in Ogoniland of operating a skewed employment and empowerment policy which deprives the teeming youths in the area.
President of the body, Comrade Saviour Imeabe in a press statement made available to The Tide recently, said most of the companies operating in the area neglect the Ogoni youth, by shutting the gates of their companies against them.
He said that the body in one of its congresses resolved to give the companies one-month ultimatum to ensure a review of their employment policy to be beneficial to the four local government areas of Ogoni, Eleme, Khana, Gokana abd Tai.
Imeabe stated that the entire Ogoniland suffers the environmental hazards from the operations of these companies and as such no Ogoni community should be neglected in terms of catchment or reach in community relations policies.
According to him, such policy of deliberate neglect was a “calculated ploy to create division among the people of Ogoni,” noting that the body would resist the continuous denial of employment of Ogoni youths by the companies.
He said the body would mobilize its mass base to protest against the policy of development neglect by these companies.
The youth leader added that the gross under development in Ogoni was as a result of the culture of apparent disregard exhibited by companies that operate in the area.
He noted that such attitude le to the sacking of Shell Petroleum development Companies (SPDC) from Ogoni in 1993.
Imeabe said the body will reach out to companies such as, Indorama/Eleme Petro Chemical, Notore, Orlean Invest, Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Port Harcourt Refinery among others.

Taneh Beemene