NO fewer than 50,000 Itsekiris from 23 host communities have benefited from strategic infrastructure, agriculture, education, healthcare and human capacity development programmes in the last 16 years under the Chevron Nigeria Limited’s (CNL) Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU).
Chairman of Itsekiri Oil and Gas Producing/Impacted Communities’ Development Committee (IPCDC), Ambassador Austin Oniyesan, disclosed this during the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of IPCDC at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to him, some of the achievements of IPCDC include construction of housing units, town halls, concrete walkways, road project, integrated agric farm, training and provision of starter packs for selected 20 agripreneurs, training of youths on agriculture service providers and delivery by IITA, Ibadan.
Others, he noted, included the award of scholarship to deserving students of selected secondary and tertiary institutions, construction of Gbokoda Community Cottage Hospital, construction of Bateren Community Health Centre, provision of starter packs for 438 Itsekiri youths who were trained in hair dressing, hotel and catering services, information communication technology, tailoring/fashion design, tinsmith and installation, welding and fabrication, electrical and molding of inter-locking stones and kerbs as well as facilitation of employment opportunities for indigenes of IPCDC communities.
On his part, chairman, Community Engagement Management Board (CEMB) of IPCDC, Professor Obafemi Ajibola, who was represented by Busola Babalola, congratulated the IPCDC leadership and indigenes of the 23 Chevron host communities, for successfully hosting their first AGM in 10 years.”
Professor Ajibola expressed optimism that the AGM report presented basically covered activities of the IPCDC from 2016 to June 2020.
“I am quite pleased with the accomplishments of the IPCDC over the years, from 2011 till date, the IPCDC has sustained momentous successes in their programmes and activities designed to bring sustainable development to the GMoU communities.
“A transition plan is already in place to migrate from the GMoU/OMoU Governance Model to the PIA.
“I am confident and convinced that the skills and capacity, built over the past years will help us to prepare for a peaceful and stress-free transition,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA) of CNL, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn, lauded the Delta State government, the Olu of Warri and the community leaders for supporting the actualisation of the objectives of the GMoU through IPCDC.
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