UDUAGHAN BLAMES MULTINATIONALS FOR NIGER DELTA CRISIS

Governor Uduaghan

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has accused multinationals operating in the Niger Delta region of escalating the crisis in the area by depriving the youths of the region of jobs.

The Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Schlumberger among others are some of the multinational corporations operating in the Niger Delta area in Nigeria.

Uduaghan who said the multinational corporations are not honest traced the problems in the Niger Delta to neglect and refusal of the oil corporations to listen to the plight of the people.

According to him, “the multinational companies are not honest. They deprive our people of employment; they deprive our people of contract award.”

He noted that any policy put in place to check the crisis in the Niger Delta that does not consider the employment policies of multinational companies operating in the area would not be effective.

“There are three categories of employing: the unskilled, semi-skilled and the skilled ones. But the unskilled, you can get the people around the area. Why does it require a multinational corporation to fly a cleaner from someone where outside the country to come and clean a platform when you can get the local people to do that.”

Uduaghan noted that “we are not saying lower standards of employment; all we are saying is give first consideration to people from that area. These are some of the policies that have been causing problem.”

Also blaming the government, he noted that infrastructural development has been abandoned for the people who are in dire need of good road, water, hospital among other things, arguing that “because of the amount of oil coming from that area, at least if not totally subsidized or even free, their should be a lot of subsidy for education and health for the people of Niger Delta.”

On his plans for Delta State, Dr.Uduaghan said a strong commitment to human capital development and free medical services for women and infants in Delta State is priority for his government.

Uduaghan, who said his government has developed a comprehensive program in the health and education sectors to achieve the aim of developing the people, said his government is also committed to providing portable water by implementing a comprehensive water sanitation program in the state.

The Governor has said that the state is witnessing an unprecedented era of peace that should be attractive to any foreign investor wishing to invest in the oil rich Delta State.

Uduaghan said that his strategy of involving restive youths in governance and making them more productive has now brought all the communities and ethnic groups in the state together.

“We thank God that we are better than where we were. Many of the ethnic groups have now come together,” assuring that “very soon we would put to rest the issues between the oil companies and the communities.”