Host communities ask Chevron to quit

• Navy alerts kerosene users of dangerous product in circulation
The host communities to multinational oil corporation, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) have given the company a 14-day ultimatum to address issues of alleged marginalisation.

The communities under the aegis of Host Community Graduates comprising people from Ijaw, Itsekiri in Delta State and Ilaje in Ondo State, handed down the ultimatum during a press conference at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Warri Correspondents Chapel, Delta State, yesterday.

They alleged that after being successful in the Chevron intensive training programme they were not given jobs as promised by the oil firm.

The statement signed on behalf of the communities by representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Ilaje graduates, Yabrade Moses, Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin and Ikuesan Ademola Kelly, said: “Since Chevron Nigeria Limited acquired Gulf Corporation over 20 years ago, our graduates have had to literarily beg or embark on mass protest before being employed by the oil firm. This is despite the fact we have produced thousands of first class graduates in various fields of human studies.”

They later presented some demands before the oil company, which include the reinstatement of all indigenes sacked without due process, direct all sub-contractors to employ host community workers, review the undergraduate scholarship scheme and reserve the position of operations manager for host communities.

They also asked the firm to develop infrastructure in their communities.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Navy (NN) has issue an alert to Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) users in the country of poorly refined substandard products in circulation.

A statement yesterday in Abuja by the Director of Information, Commodore Christian Ezekobe said the crackdown on illegal refining of other petroleum products has sent desperate criminals to change course, due to this, “the NN wishes to warn the public particularly local consumers on the dangers of patronising adulterated kerosene and to further state that the product is not good for domestic use.”

He said: “Illegal refinery operators in the Niger Delta now refine Dual Purpose Kerosene against the popular Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).’’