Bayelsa State government has stepped into what would have resulted in a major crisis between a host community of the Gbarain/Ubie Gas Gathering Project and one of the construction firms, ALCON Nigeria Limited, over non-employment of its indigenes.
Reports say the construction firm had started preparations at the project site in Obunagha Community without taking into consideration the employment needs of the indigenes.
A community source confided in Daily Independent that the company had mobilised some workers from Port Harcourt to the site, where its caravans would be installed. But worried by the development, the community youths were said to be spoiling for war and were ready to disrupt work at the site before they were advised to report the matter to the state government.
We were reliably informed that ALCON employed only six indigenes of the community as security men at the site.
At a meeting with officials of SAIPEM and ALCON in Yenagoa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Oil and Gas Matters, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, directed ALCON to submit its manpower requirement to the government before it begins operations at the site as well as its nominal roll of core staff for verification.
The governor’s aide warned that failure to adhere to the directive would attract the wrath of the government, saying the directive was in line with its local content policy and its resolve to create employment for its youths. He reasoned that unemployment was the cause of youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region and that the government was making effort to stem the trend.
Earlier, representatives of SAIPEM and ALCON, Harold Ugwu and Charles Bribena, said ALCON had only embarked on site preparation and that construction work at the site would commence January 2007.
They promised to submit the nominal roll of the company and manpower requirements to the government by Friday this week.