Delta community petitions President Buhari, Kachikwu, Okowa over NNPC recruitment exercise

The Ekpan Development Committee, EDC, in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as well as all security agencies over the recent recruitment exercise carried out by the corporation.

The EDC officials faulted the procedure used by the NNPC in the recruitment of unemployed undergraduates and other qualified Nigerians.

In a statement made available to DAILY POST, EDC President and Secretary, Messrs Magbadja Eghrudje and Esere Akemu wondered why NNPC would announce the recruitment exercise online for three day’s notice and thereafter closed their portal.

The Ekpan Youth Wing insisted that as host Community to the NNPC, WRPC, PPMC and other subsidiaries of the NNPC, the oil giant should recruit qualified and educated indigenes from Ekpan Community.

The EDC also alleged that NNPC and its subsidiaries over the years neglected Ekpan Community in the areas of employment, contracts and even provision of basic amenities like health centres, portable water for the benefit of indigenes of the Community.

The EDC also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr. I’ve Kachikwu, the Group Managing Director of NNPC and the Delta State Governor, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa and other stakeholders including security agencies to do the needful in order not to disrupt the peace in the oil industry.

The EDC officials in charge of employment in the community accused the Management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Lee Engineering and Oil Servicing firms in Ekpan land to provide jobs for able bodied youths of the Community as a sure way to check youth restiveness.

The EDC also alleged that Chevron Nigeria Limited has not executed a single project in Ekpan Community.

It appealed to the Delta State Governor, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa who brokered a peace and security agreement on the 30th of November 2018 with the Ekpan youths to now prevail on the Oil Companies operating in Ekpan land to wake up from their slumber and provide employment to the youths.

The EDC threatened to block the Refinery Bridge and stop all vehicular movements to the Nigerian Ports Authority, NNPC and Chevron if their demands were not met soon.

The EDC said the Oil Companies were taking their disposition to peace for weakness just as it vowed that to resume hostilities before the oil companies would listen to their demands.