Delta community threatens action against Chevron

AKHERE Godwin,Benin

A Delta state based group, Kombot Employment Front in Egbema and Gbaramatu Kingdoms has threatened to disrupt operations of Chevron Oil Company over alleged lopsided employment policies and refusal to recall a member of their community, Timi Okeoghene despite interventions from the National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity that both recommended that he be recalled.

Few days ago, the group staged a protest to the premises of Chevron in Warri, Delta state where they disrupted activities there for several hours but suspended the protest after the company agreed to meet with the youths over their demands.
Apparently not confident with management of the company, the group in a statement signed by its President and Secretary, Yabrade Moses and Asoki Victor and made available to Newsmen Monday, said previous meetings with representatives of the group, elders of the communities and other interest groups where the company agreed to revisit the sack of Okeoghene and agreements on its employment policies were not implemented.
“But this time around, if the issues raised during this protest (reinstatement of Comrade Okirika Timmy Okeoghene and other employment issues) are not adequately and favourably addressed at the proposed meeting, KOMBOT will have no other option but to take the protest to the flow stations and Chevron facilities in our domain to correct this grave injustice against our brother in particular and the community in general.”
And with fuel scarcity still biting in parts of the country, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) may be heading for another industrial action against the management of Chevron over the company’s refusal to reconsider the disengagement of Okeoghene and two others despite advice to reversals by the National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity. The two bodies said there were lapses in the processes leading to their disengagement and advised that the company recalled them for reconsideration.
Speaking on the matter, Branch Chairman of Chevron, Comrade Frank Esanubi confirmed the development. “We have been on the part of dialogue to see that this issue is resolved amicably. We are hoping that the company will comply with the directive from the National Assembly and the Ministry of labour but in the event that it fails and degenerate to industrial action, they should not hold anybody responsible for it”
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa in a letter to the Managing Director of the company dated 9th October, 2013 with reference number NASS/CNA/105/Vol 18/240 recommended among others that Timi be reinstated and be paid his outstanding financial benefits while on the case of Gilbert, it recommended that the company “tamper justice with mercy and reconsider the case as Prince Dateme Gilbert had no fraudulent intent in his action”
Also, a letter from the Ministry of Labour and Productivity signed by Mrs M.O Ike dated 19th November 2014 with reference number MLHB/7884/T/324, the ministry said it adopted the recommendations of the National Assembly on the matter and went further to say that it observed “some loopholes in the documents used by the management” to sanction the staff and recommended a review.
And in an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan dated March 2, 2015, the affected staff said their plea for the president’s intervention is hinged on the fact that the federal government has a majority share of 60 per cent in the Joint Venture (JV) agreement with Chevron and that the federal government, the Ministry and National Assembly has oversight function on the company adding that the situation if it remained as it is could lead to a nation-wide industrial action.