Sylvester Idowu in Warri
An Oil Monitoring group, Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) has threatened to disrupt the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) over alleged non-implementation of the local content act with deliberate denial of qualified Niger Deltans employment.
The group, in a statement yesterday, decried the activities of the American oil company which, it stated, tends towards circumventing government policies towards creating opportunities for Nigerians, especially people of the host communities.
According to the statement signed by its President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer, Stanley Mukoro, NDIMRC cited, as an example, the recent denial of one Captain Roland Tonlagha of employment after a successful interview with the company.
It alleged that the said Captain Tonlagha, having succeeded in the interview, was directed to the company’s clinic and a private hospital for medical test where it was allegedly discovered that his urine contained drugs.
But contrary to the medical result, NDIMRC said a private medical test by other hospitals in the United States of America proved the applicant had no drug substance in his urine.
“The Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) therefore call on the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited ( CNL ), Mr. Jeff Ewing to urgently investigate the denial of the said Captain John Roland Tonlagha of employment after the successful interview with the Company.
“He took to an independent investigation which was conducted in both Nigeria and the United States of America. Specifically, the tests were carried out at Lily Clinic, Capitol Hill Clinic, all in Nigeria, US Coast Guard Test Centre and also at US Drug and Alcohol Test Centre, all in the United States of America. He was given a clean bill of health as all results were negative,” the group maintained.
NDIMRC said it viewed the “case of this qualified son of the Niger Delta Region, Captain John Roland Tonlagha as a deliberate attempt to deny him of employment by Chevron Nigeria Limited. Many of our qualified people have been going through this terrible experience in the hands of the Multinational oil companies. These oil Companies who are making so much from the Region do not want our people to be employed.
“We want a probe into this matter. We want to get to the bottom of this calculated attempt to deprive Captain John Roland Tonlagha of employment by Chevron Nigeria Limited. These Nigerian Hospitals who are conniving with Chevron Nigeria Limited to cook up fake results in order to deny our people employment in the Region must be investigated and brought to book.
“It is very clear that Chevron Nigeria Limited and other oil Companies operating in the Niger Delta Region have been short-changing our people in terms of employment and enough is enough of this,” the group added.
