Ogoni Clean Up: Youths Allege Marginalisation In Job Slots

Ogoni youths in Rivers State have alleged marginalisation in job opportunities at the ongoing clean-up of Ogoni environment, being supervised by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

They accused HYPREP and its contractors of not giving youths up to 60 percent of the job opportunities as stipulated in the Local Content Act.

President-general of Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), Legborsi Yamaabana, who spoke on a radio programme monitored in Port Harcourt, said it would be fair for Ogoni youths to benefit from funds meant for the development of their land.

Yamaabana said: “We cannot be here and people will be coming to cart away money meant for the development of Ogoni. Mind you, that is not government’s money; it was money paid by the polluter, Shell and its joint venture into what is called the Ogoni Trust Fund account. It is Ogoni money. 

“Our people must benefit from what is going on in their land. In as much as we are not saying that the money should be shared, those that have the capacity should do jobs so that they money can circulate within Ogoniland. 

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“We are not saying outsiders should not come to work in Ogoni, but give us a fair share in line with the Local Content Act. The fair share is 60 percent to the locals and 40 percent to foreigners.”

Meanwhile, the Wiyaakara Youth Association (WYA) has said youths of Wiyaakara community in Khana local government area of Rivers State and Ogoniland at large were not fully engaged in the ongoing three mega projects located in the community.

The mega projects include Ogoni Centre of Excellence being handled by  the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the Ogoni Power Project, being handled by Enernogov Limited and the 100-bed Specialist Hospital, being handled by Tanit Medical Engineering.

WYA, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt yesterday and signed by it’s President and Secretary, Benedict Barinua and Yiibari Thomson Atu, respectively, allege that injustices were being meted out to the youths in the form of paltry wages and a brazen disregard for local content in the ongoing projects.