Community threatens Agip over youth unemployment

Indigenes of Ogboinbiri, an oil rich community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, are spoiling for showdown with Nigeria Agip oil Company, over what they describe as the refusal of the latter to provide their youths with employments.

They noted with sadness that though the company had been operating for 26 years in their community, they cannot boost of any indigene in  the company despite their having over 200 qualified persons.

The community which decried the attitude of the oil company, noted that the two Memorandums of Understanding, MOUs, signed with the company where the employment of indigenes was one of their demands, had not been implemented by Agip.

The Ogboinbiri Community Development Committee chairman, Elder Captain Edugo, weekend, said the company has over 11 oil wells in their community and was currently embarking on a gas gathering project, while the people have nothing to show for its operations on their land.

“From 1986 till date, Agip has not employed any of our indigenes as a permanent staff,” lamented Edugo, who said the management’s deaf ears to their demands informed the peaceful protest embarked upon by indigenes of the community.

He said even the ongoing gas gathering project, known as ‘Agip oil and Gas Flow Station up grade project, which had commenced in the last three years, has no single indigene as a staff despite  the availability of qualified man power among the indigenes of the host community.

Speaking in the same vein, Secretary General of CDC, Mr. Tari Daniel, called on the government to prevail on Agip to employ and embark on human capital development of indigenes of the host community.

Daniel recalled that over the years, members of the community had been protecting the Agip facility but it never dawned on the company to employ any of them as permanent staff.

Also CDC Youth Leader, Mr. Chris Brown, justified the peaceful protest, adding that the gas gathering project was nearing completion while none of their people were considered for employment.