Ogoni youths in Rivers State have rejected the 40 employment slots reportedly allocated to the area by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), demanding at least 500 direct jobs ahead of the planned resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
The demand was made by the Ogoni Youth Federation Worldwide (OYF), which said the 40 positions were inadequate given the region’s contribution to Nigeria’s oil industry and the economic hardship experienced by its people during more than three decades of suspended oil production.
Speaking in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of a planning committee for a proposed national congress of Ogoni youths, the President-General of OYF Worldwide, Legborsi Yamaabana, said the meeting would address concerns surrounding the planned return of oil and gas activities to Ogoniland.
Yamaabana acknowledged the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to facilitate the resumption of oil operations in the area but insisted that the process must be guided by fairness, environmental justice and meaningful benefits for local communities.
He appealed to political, traditional and community leaders to prevent the 40 employment slots from becoming a source of conflict or division among Ogoni people.
According to him, the allocation was “paltry and insignificant” in view of the sacrifices made by the Ogoni people and the scale of economic activities expected from the resumption of oil operations.
“Ogoni youth will not settle for tokenism,” Yamaabana said, adding that the federation would formally demand a minimum of 500 direct employment opportunities for qualified Ogoni youths at the NNPCL and its subsidiaries during the forthcoming congress.
He said many young people in the area had remained economically inactive throughout the 33-year period of suspended oil exploration and should therefore be given priority as activities resume.
The OYF also called for calm among stakeholders, warning against internal disputes over the limited employment opportunities already announced.
Yamaabana said the proposed congress would provide a platform for Ogoni youths to deliberate on the resumption of oil production and other issues affecting the future of the oil-producing region.
Ogoni youths agitation comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government to revive oil exploration in Ogoniland, decades after oil production was suspended following years of environmental concerns, protests and conflict.
The youth body maintained that any renewed oil activity must protect the rights and environment of the Ogoni people while ensuring that the host communities receive equitable economic benefits.
