Andoni Youth Coalition has advised youths to always adopt the principles of dialogue in their relationship with oil drilling companies domiciled in their localities.
This the coalition believes is a major means of boosting industrial and social harmony in Niger Delta communities between operating companies and youths of host communities.
President of Andoni Youth Coalition, Nkpon Ijonama, gave the advice while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt at the weekend.
He said that no meaningful development thrives in an atmosphere of rancour urging youths to make good use of their opportunities as indigenes of host communities to positively develop themselves.
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Ijonama said: “As youths, we should be grateful to God that we are from a region that is blessed with a hot cake (crude), today Andoni LGA is one of the oil producing areas in Nigeria.
” Luckily for us in Andoni, Tubu field, an oil field owned by Chevron which was abandoned for over two decades following its low production capacity has now been acquired by Amni Pet /Shelf drilling Company, a privately owned local drilling firm.
The youth leader urged resident of the area to be patient with the company as it strived to achieve its takeoff modalities adding that unnecessary activities capable of truncating a peaceful takeoff of the project would amount to rendering the entire project moribund.
He explained that the company needed a peaceful environment to successfully develop the Tubu oil field to enable it to understand the exact production capacity and fertility of the field.
“I urge us to look at the big picture, we should as enlightened youths know what to expect in terms development and job creation in the area and not what an individual or selected group would gain by disrupting this laudable venture because It is only when the field has been developed that we would understand its production capacity.
“Assuming Ima field which has been in operation for more than twenty years and managed by the same Amni Pet/ Shelf drilling joins the new Tubu field, it is possible that more than 6,000 barrels per day capacity could be achieved
“By this project, I believe that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for our LGA would even be higher than our share from the federal government’s allocation.
“Currently, Ima field in collaboration with Tubu field harbours up to10 subsidiary companies that have absorbed about 50 per cent of out youths on its employment and this is a plus to our collective efforts towards tackling youth unemployment”, he said.
Ijonama however, commanded Amni Pet/ Shelf drilling company for their commitment in terms of cooperate social responsibilities in the area urging them to do more for a sustainable business relationship.
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“We have confidence that our trust would be protected in this new Tubu field acquired by Amni Pet / Shelf drilling company because for over two decades they have not failed in their responsibilities to us as host communities.
” Amni has tried but the area has not benefitted up to 30 per cent from its expected reward that is why they should do more.
” We urge the company to adopt a more open door policy where its allocations are made known to appropriate bodies at the beginning of each fiscal year to enhance the due process and policy implementation by the host communities.
“Scholarship/ job opportunities should be properly advertised to avail only qualified students of such benefits,” he said.
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