Youths barricade Halliburton gate in Port Harcourt to protest sacking of indigenes

*Comrade Chijioke Ihunwo, Chairman National Youths Council of Nigeria, NYCN, condemns Halliburton for sacking Rivers youths.  

BY IBRAHIM BAKARE

In the early hours of this morning Wednesday, December 30, Youths of Oginigba, the host Community Halliburton Oil Servicing Company located at Oginigba in Trans-Amadi, Obio/Akpor local government area, of Rivers State barricaded the company gate.

The Youths who said they are under the canopy of National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN barricaded company gate protesting against sack of its members.

An Eyewitness at the scene told our Correspondent on phone that hundreds of angry youths barricaded the company gate with fetish materials like Palm leaves,native pots and others.

“They mean Business. They brought in canopies, musical drums, Cooking pots and others. It has has been carnival. But one unfortunate scenario is that they are not obeying Covid-19 Protocols. Most of are not wearing facemasks”.

Comrade Chijioke Ihunwo, Chairman National Youths Council of Nigeria, NYCN, South-South leading a delegation to broker peace between the Oginigba youths and Halliburton in Port Harcourt.

Comrade Chijioke Ihunwo Chairman National Youths Council of Nigeria, NYCN, South-South.

“So far,they have not been violent. They just singing and dancing with placards with varying inscriptions like “Don’t sack our Youths”,”Give us jobs”,”Call our Youths back”, NYCN is against sack of Rivers Youths in Halliburton etc.” 

At the time of filing this report, Comrade Ihunwo Chijioke, the Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Rivers State chapter and South-South zone, had arrived the the scene to intervene  and broker peace between youths and company.

It was also observed that Policemen with not less than five vehicles are already at the scene to ensure that no violence erupts at the place.

However, no representative of company has come out to address the protesting youths and their representatives at the time if filing this report.

One of the youths who gave his name as Nnamdi Amadi said the youths decided to protest at the gate of Halliburton because the management is not friendly to host the Oginigba host Community.

“No indigene of Oginigba is in the management position of the company. Even when they only employ us in the junior cadre the company still sack us for no reason. We are not leaving this gate until they answer us and recall all the sacked workers. It is no retreat,no surrender”.

None of the Company representative could be reached for comments.

Meanwhile in a press Statement, by Chijioke Ihunwo, which was signed by Amadi Eze the Senior Special Assistant on (Media & Publicity) to the Chairman condemned the sack of Rivers State youths by Halliburton Energy Services, an oil servicing company operating in Rivers State.
He said sometime this year, 2020, Halliburton sacked some youths of Rivers State for no substantial reason and without any take home benefit. All attempts have been made for Halliburton to rescind on their decision all to no avail.

“It is horrific that Halliburton a supposedly global brand, would descend low to carry out a barbaric treatment on it’s workers at this time when people are finding it difficult to survive. The Chairman is certain that Halliburton will never contemplate talk less of exercising the cruel, underhand and servile treatment it mete out to Rivers State youths in it’s employment to it’s staff in the United States or European countries where it maintains operations.”

The Chairman NYCN said it is sure that Halliburton would never attempt to infringe on the laws of western countries where it is operating. The Chairman is at loss why Halliburton would decide to deploy double standards in it’s treatment of Rivers State youths in it’s employment. It is difficult to understand why Halliburton believes that Rivers State youths should be treated with disdain while workers from other regions are to be pampered and given high regard in the company.

According to Ihunwo “In view of this culture of arbitrariness, discrimination, high handedness, impunity, disrespect and sack of Rivers State youths, the Chairman demand that Halliburton must recall the Rivers State youths sacked from it’s employment, render an unreserved public apology for the inhumane treatment meted against Rivers State youths and set in motion mechanisms for the restatement of the sacked workers or face a full blown protest by the entire youths of Rivers State.
The Chairman also call on the Rivers State Government to intervene swiftly to avoid an unnecessary disruption and hemorrhage on the State economy.