Akwa Ibom youths have issued a 30-day ultimatum to ExxonMobil to employ youths of the catchment area in contracting firms of the multinational.
The youths under the aegis of Nigeria Youth Initiative Forum, however, threatened to disrupt ExxonMobil operations after the expiration of the ultimatum over non-employment of the indigenes.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil Nigeria, they also threatened to barricade QIT road and the Mobil airstrip for failure by the company to heed to their demand.
The letter made available to the newsmen in Uyo was signed by Sammy Bassey, the forum chairman from Eket, and Godwin Edwards, his secretary,.
Other signatories of the ultimatum are the forum chairmen and secretaries from Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna local government areas of Akwa Ibom.
The youths alleged that about 400 qualified seafarers and cadet officers from the catchment area had been denied employment by 42 marine and services companies working for ExxonMobil.
They demanded ExxonMobil to employ qualified indigenes in its marine department as well as direct all marine contractors to source their workforce from seafarers and crewmen from the catchment area.
The forum urged ExxonMobil to commence the immediate rebuilding of Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) jetty and also start immediate review of ExxonMobil community relations guidelines of 2007.
The youths also requested the multinational to direct its contractor, Bristow Helicopter, to start training youths of the catchment area on helicopter operations after decades of operating in the area.
The forum alleged that many contracting firms to ExxonMobil had not executed any community development projects in the catchment area since 2007.
The youths then demanded that ExxonMobil to direct its contractors to discharge their corporate social responsibility to the people of the host communities.
The forum frowned at the attitude of some contracting firms that engage the youths from the catchment area on meagre pay packet considering the current economic realities in Nigeria.
It lamented that some community liaison officers (CLOs) appointed by labour committee are yet to collect appointment letters from the contracting firms, meaning that they are not accepted.
The forum called for payment of adequate compensation to some of the youths laid off by some contracting firms working for ExxonMobil.
The forum alleged that the gross neglect and insensitivity of contracting firms working for ExxonMobil had denied job opportunities to over 10, 000 youths in the catchment area.
It noted that the companies working for ExxonMobil had violated of the Akwa Ibom Oil Companies and Vessel law 2007 and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.
The youths noted that the contracting firms were breaching the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Act 2007 and the Merchant Shipping Act 2003 and the Inland and Coastal (Cabotage) Shipping Act 2003 as well as ExxonMobil Community Labour Relations Guideline 2007.
They requested ExxonMobil to direct its Public and Government Affairs Department to liaise with the communities and the state government to avoid further breach of the laws of the land.
“It is disheartening and pathetic to note that GREMOORE LTD on the instruction and directive of your Public and Government Affairs Department has blatantly and strictly refused to accommodate and integrate the indigenous contractors in the project,” the forum alleged.
