Chairman of Bonny local government area of Rivers State, Anengi Barasua has urged the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre to critically tackle the outcry of Bonny people over unemployment, as it will reduce crime and youth restiveness on the island.
The chairman gave the charge while speaking with the BIRC Monitoring team after a brief meeting .
She stated that it is an error for the indigenous people residing in a place which houses various companies not to be gainfully employed, trained or be made to learn on a job, as it leads to idleness, drug abuse, alcoholism and various social vices.
Barasua wondered why Bonny will be accommodating multinational companies which brings in huge revenue to the Nigerian economy, yet her people still cry daily for not been gainfully employed.
“It is so sad that as Bonny is, our people still cry to be trained and given opportunities to work in an environment in which they suffer from air and water pollutions from activities of the companies. It is disheartening and we as a government will not fold our arms and let this slide under the carpet”.
“As a people, we should begin from this moment to mend our ways to make things right and employment is one area that I want to engage forcefully because I had an information of a list from a company called Evomec, which they employed about 100 persons and I saw less than 10 Bonny names and when I looked at the requisition, they are unskilled labour.
“Our people are Carpenters, masons, etc, and they can be employed to handle such activities and if they can’t do it perfectly, they should be attached to learn on the job and if they are found wanting then we should know how to handle it. Infact, I will speak to the manager of Evomec directly because they can’t be treating our people as slaves on their own soil. This also includes other companies on the island, it is time we begin to query their activities as a government”.
The Council Boss further admonished the BIRC Monitoring team that they are independent bodies and as such should checkmate the activities of those scheduled for inductions by the BIRC, their actions and inactions and report back to the council and not to work in synergy with them.
