Fresh Trouble Looms In Niger Delta As IYC Warns Chevron Not To Dare Retrench Ijaw Workers
A pan-Ijaw Youth group known as the Ijaw Youth Council has written a letter to Chevron Nigeria Limited, expressing their displeasure on the clandestine move to sack more than 500 Nigerians. The Liberator Newspapers can report.
In a leak letter titled: “JETTISON YOUR CLANDESTINE MOVE TO SACK 600 NIGERIANS,”to the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, the Secretary General of the group, Mr Frank Pukon who signed on behalf of the 8th NEC said, they reject the secret plan of the oil company to subdue and shortchange the Ijaw people of her God-given wealth, adding that this will not be condoned; henceforth.
He deplored the continuous exploitative tendencies by the oil companies operating in the region and Federal Government of Nigeria describing it as an aberration and unlawful contradiction to the Local Content Act.
“Why we will explore all legal windows if this move, is not aborted as soon as possible, note also, we will mobilise Ijaw youths to halt Chevron operations within our region,” Pukon stated in the letter.
The letter reads in full:
“JETTISON YOUR CLANDESTINE MOVE TO SACK 600 NIGERIANS
The Ijaw Nation has mandated us to write to you after the meeting of core stakeholders to the unfolding developments, in response to the above subject, wherein a memorandum authored by you to dismiss approximately 600 Nigerians from their official duties as employees in Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL).
Among these 600 Nigerians, we have the Ijaw Ethnic group, a victim of continuous exploitative tendencies by the oil companies operating in our locality and the Federal Government of Nigeria, respectively.
Therefore, the Ijaw Ethnic group views this as an act of aberration and unlawful contradiction to the Nigerian Local Content Development Act. Chevron Nigeria Limited plans to continue to subdue and shortchange us of our God-given wealth secretly will not be condoned; henceforth.
It is not a crime to be a minority group with abundant resources, so we implore you as a matter of urgency to jettison this clandestine move. We know this move, if not averted, will lead to a fragile relationship between the host and the guest.
We know this is a difficult time because of the coronavirus that has ravaged global economies, and compounding this crisis means Chevron Nigeria Limited ought to maintain decorum, professionalism and infuse international best practices to all its staff.
Given the above, employees are meant to be protected, as it is stipulated in ILO’s fundamental principle, not to be sacked.
Why we will explore all legal windows if this move is not aborted as soon as possible, note also, we will mobilise Ijaw youths to halt Chevron operations within our region.”
