By Assam Abia
Edo communities in Esit Eket , Akwa Ibom on Thursday resisted the unfair labour practices by Oil firms operating on their land disrupting construction activities at the Uquo Marginal oil fields over violations of existing agreements.
Over 1,000 persons occupied the entrance to the Central Gas Processing Facility under construction by Septa Energy to press home their grouse with perceived discriminatory labour practices against indigenes of the area.
The protesters carried placards comprised women youths and elders from Edo community sang songs amidst drumbeats urging the oil firm to honour its obligations on community development.
The women took over the gates and set up their cooking pots on fire while others carried symbolic cassava stick depicting poor yield as a result of oil and gas exploration and production.
The community representatives said that they were compelled to protest the non-compliance to the Memorandum of Understanding between the operators of the marginal oil field with them.
The protesters who demonstrated a high level of civility during the protest, carried play cards with inscriptions such as, “employ our qualified youths”, “Give women their 35% employment right”, ALCON, Employ our People”, “Respect the MOU” and “Give us infrastructure” among others.
They decried the non-employment of indigenes with qualified skill and education into management positions as agreed in the MOU signed between the Host Community and the Management Team.
Our correspondent who was at the scene reports that the protesters vowed not to vacate the entrance to the centre processing facility until the issues raised by them were being addressed by management of the company.
Speaking to the weekly insight on behalf of the women, Deaconess Grace Akpata, a women leader, said that their action was being aggravated by the failed talks with representative of the company in December 2011 after similar demonstration took place.
“These people think we are stupid. Can they do all these in other places? Just because we are peaceful, they take us for a ride. Imagine a C.L.O of this company being a non-indigene. We will not vacate this place (the gate) until they respect the M.O.U they signed with the community”, Akpata stated.
She said further that the company accepted to provide women of the Core Community with some empowerment and welfare package late last year, which they deliberately refused to oblige, adding that issues raised by them during the last demonstration have not been attended to by the company.
“We are peace loving people but we will no longer tolerate injustice, abuse and neglect meted on us for the sake of so called development”, she fumed.
Also speaking, Obongawan Hannah Edemidiong called on Septa Energy Company to call its servicing companies to order to avoid a future breakdown of industrial harmony now existing in the area.
She stated that the state government was involved in the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, which has now been abused by the company and wondered why Government agencies are not concerned in the lukewarm attitude of the company.
“It is very unfair and unacceptable for the company and its service companies to employ more than 85% of its working force outside the state when we have enough skilled manpower. Government should interfere and stop a possible breakdown of law and order in our peaceful communities”, Obongawan Edemidiong said.
Henry Ekong, Akwa Ibom Chapter Chairman of Association of Erectors, Riggers and Scaffolders of Nigeria said that the association opposed the violation of operational area quota.
“I am of Riggers erectors and scaffolders of Nigeria. We are a trade union today gathered here in the front of the central processing facility to express our grievances over what the companies the service operators are doing to the trade union.
“They are even bringing foreigners to do the jobs reserved for Nigerians under the labour Act and in total violation of expatriate quotas
“The MOU stipulated that our youths should partake fully up to 60 to 70 per cent of this project in the skilled and semi skilled categories of manpower but that is not happening.
“ And today we have discovered is that the youths are not represented up to 20 percent, we are not happy, we need a redress we need all head count of workers in the CPF, so that we know exactly who have been cleared by the community and who have not been cleared,” Ekong stated
Officials of ALCON, the construction firm handling the project could not be reached for comments as they were said to have withdrawn from the project site.
Construction Manager of ALCON, Mr. Flavio Grosso could not be reached as he switched off his mobile phones.
Chief Umoh Udobia, Chairman of Uquo Marginal Field Development Board said that officials of Septa Energy had prevailed on him to appeal to the crowd to maintain the peace as Management of the firm has agreed to meet with community representatives at a hotel in Eket.
No comments:
Post a Comment