Delta

The  Okpes comprising both Sapele and Okpe local government areas of Delta State have handed down a two-week ultimatum to the management of the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, to reverse  the recent employment of junior  workers exercise in which the Okpes, as one of the  host communities to the institution was allegedly not carried along.

They warned that if PTI fails to listen to their demands, at the expiration of their ultimatum they would mobilze their people to shut down the institution.

In joint press conference in Orerokpe, the traditional headquarters of the Okpes,  Chief Robert Onome, the President General of Okpe Union world-wide and Hon. Harrison Ekeleme,  President, Okpe Youth Council, they explained that the Okpes  are peace-loving people but the management of PTI through their actions have pushed them to the wall by their continued marginalisation while  appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari through the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources,  Dr Ibe Kachukwu, to prevail on the management of PTI to heed their demands to prevent a crisis situation. Chief Onome disclosed that as host community they are entitled to  30 percent slots of any employment given by the institution based on the Local Content Law.

Chief Onome explained that a meeting was held with the management of PTI when they got the information of the recruitment exercise with a view of employing 30percent from Okpe,adding that  they were surprised that the applications of over 50 Okpe sons were rejected “with the excuse that there is no recruitment going on at PTI”

In a letter dated 3 July 2018, signed by both Chief Robert Onome President General of Okpe Union World wide and Hon Harrison Ekeleme President Okpe Youth Council made available to newsmen reads thus:This letter therefore serves to appeal and call for an urgent review of the whole exercise to enable our people benefit in compliance to the well-known Federal Government policy that the recruitment of junior cadre should come from the host communities in the catchment area which is made up of Okpe and Uvwie LGA ”