Rivers: Rep Urges Firms To Engage Locals 

The member representing the Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Kingsley Chinda, has urged company executives, and federal agencies to always ensure that they carry along the locals in the area where they operate, so as to avoid conflict.
He stressed the need for such operators to always discuss with their landlords, saying when there is dialogue, they will likely have a lasting solution to some of their problems.
Chinda who was speaking to journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport, PHIA, on Friday, in reaction to the petition sent through him to the National Assembly, by the people of Omagwa, who are landlords to PHIA, said that the petition was before the House Committee on Public Petition.
“ I believe that Omagwa people will be invited any moment from now to state their case with those they complained against, of marginalisation.
“ As a true representative from Rivers State, I align myself with them. There is need for the operators and all companies working within this area to ensure that the locals were carried along.
“ One of the provisions of the Local Content Act is that operators need to ensure that a reasonable percentage of their staff, came from the place of their operations.
“ We are battling to ensure that this local content covers other areas, even the Aviation industry, and this will benefit Nigerians and bring peace and progress to the locals”, Chinda said.
The lawmaker however, opined that the second opinion available to the people of Omagwa was to take the matter to the right channel, through litigation, and get judicial pronouncement on their right.
He also urged the people of the community to be patient, and to allow the public Petition Committee to take a resolution on the matter, which he said would be tabled before the parliament for adoption of report.

By: Corlins Walter