By Francesca Hangeior.
Youths of Alesa and Alode communities in Eleme, host to the Port Harcourt Refinery, have occupied the main entrance of the refinery complex, shutting down activities at the refinery in demand for employment even as the refinery undergoes rehabilitation.
The youths in their hundreds barricaded the main gate of the refinery complex, with placards bearing different inscriptions, such as “PHRC where did you keep our slots”, and “PHRC obey Nigerian Content Act” among others.
The leader of the protest identified as Hon. Johnson Nwogu, said the community was shocked that an employment of 165 people was carried out by the management of the refinery but only 13 chances were given to the whole of Eleme and less than five to Alesa, the host community.
“It saddens me to imagine how we are marginalized by multinationals, IOCs, and indigenous companies doing business within the confines of Eleme land. Our employment quota and contract chances have been compromised for far too long as against the Nigeria Content Act.
“The behaviour of those managing these firms and our representatives in the over 300 companies doing business in Eleme has impoverished our people. Hence, we must rise to the task of fighting against the injustice meted out to us by these groups of people,” Chujor said.
He continued: “It is heart-wrenching to see that the unemployment rate is on the rise in Eleme, whereas we have people coming into our space to earn massive profits every day. Contract opportunities now belong to a few individuals from the community as against running an open-door policy to all qualified contractors.
“Moreover, Eleme has qualified graduates and professionals who can fill various positions, including managerial roles within these companies, but they tend to look down on our people because our representatives in these firms have failed to project and protect Eleme’s indigenous workers before the top echelon of these companies.
“To prevent these unwanted developments, I request the support of Eleme stakeholders and meaningful people of the soil to rise and put a stop to these menaces for the future growth and development of Eleme land.
“For how long should we remain in silence, fold our hands, and watch all these levels of injustice unleashed on our people? They sack our youths but retain strangers, employ the strangers as direct staff, but our people as support staff, etc.
Take, for instance, Tecnimont has less than six Eleme graduates as their direct staff as against the hundreds of staff engaged. This is a violation of the Nigeria Local Content Act.”