Youths of Alesa and Alode communities in Eleme Local Government of Rivers State, Tuesday morning barricaded the entrance of Port Harcourt Refinery over alleged marginalization of the host communities.
The youths alleged that members of the host communities have been neglected in terms of employment and award of contract by the contractor handling the rehabilitation project at the facility.
The blockage of the gate of the refinery prevented over three thousand workers from accessing the facility this morning.
The Secretary Alesa Stakeholders, Mgbere Timothy in a chat with our correspondent during the protest, condemned the action of the contractor which he described as unfortunate.
He noted that the contractor handling the project and the management of the Port Harcourt Refinery did not consult with the host communities on the issue of employment as contained in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
“The youth came out to express their dissatisfaction over the way and manner this rehabilitation project is being handled.
You can see the crowd out here and you can see more than three thousand workers who are trying to gain access to the complex this morning.
"If we didn’t come here we would not know that this is the number of people that are employed to work here. Yet the youths of the community are rooming the streets. So we are here to express our dissatisfaction to the management of the Tecnimont (the firm handling the rehabilitation project) and the Port Harcourt Refinery over the ugly situation” he said.
A meeting by the representative of the firm and the protesting youths of the host communities ended in a deadlock before filing in this report.
