The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates Worldwide, on Monday, issued a 28 days ultimatum to Chevron Nigeria Limited over alleged gross marginalization of their brothers and sisters working in Chevron.
The group who handed down this ultimatum during a press briefing held in Warri, Delta State, said that if by the end of the expiration of their ultimatum and Chevron fails to commence or put to action their demands, they will be forced to shut down its operations in all their host communities.
Ben Eburajolo, president of the National Association of Itsekiri Graduates,, who read the statement jointly signed by him and Esiategiwa Mini, secretary of the association, said they have watched in silence the “gross marginalization of our brothers and sisters far too long and we definitely cannot keep silent anymore.”
They stated that the plights of their brothers and sisters in Chevron’s Vocational Training Programme and Operational Training Programme calls for urgent attention.
“They were promised employment and asked to resign their former jobs by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) Management. Hence, the reason they left their high paying jobs to pass through the O&M training at Ogere.
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“Most frequently, the Management of Chevron assigns more tasks to them than the CNL employees who receive higher Salaries than them.
“They are the least ranked and underpaid among CNL labor contract personnel,” the association stated.
They also accused some of their Itsekiri leaders of “aiding and abetting CNL to use and dump our VTP5/OTP2 & VTP6 brothers and sisters because of their selfish gains.”
They lamented that in spite of several negotiations with Chevron and the intervention of their Revered Monarch, Ogiame Ikenwali, the Olu of Warri, of blessed memory on behalf of them in 2017, CNL Management has refused to keep it’s promise to do the needful since 2018 till date.
The Itsekiri graduates, therefore demanded among others things, that Chevron should resume Operation and Maintenance (O&M) training with employment in view as enshrined in their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
They also demanded that “community development in Oil Producing Areas should resume back immediately, and that all Itsekiri Host Communities to CNL should be given light and portable drinking water.”
