The oil sector in Nigeria may witness a drop in production as the coalition of graduates in the Niger Delta region from the ethnic nationalities of Ijaw, Ilaje, and Itsekiri, known as the '3is', have threatened to shutdown the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) by November 8, if its fresh demands are not met by the company after it staged a walkout from a scheduled meeting citing the lackadaisical attitude of the company's personnel to its leadership.

This is contained in a recent statement issued by the coalition of graduates that was signed by Comr. Tare Olaye, President of Egbema-Gbaramatu, Ogulagha Graduates Employment Front (KOMBOT); Comr. Esiategiwa Donald Mino, President, National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG); and Ikuesan Ademola Kelly, President, National Association of Ilaje Graduates (NAIG).

Recall that the graduates in a recent petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other stakeholders in the country, complained bitterly about CNL's outrageous policy of neglecting qualified graduates from their host communities when it comes to the employment of their workforce, demanding that CNL halt the ongoing aptitude test the company is currently organizing nationwide until the host communities are sure of an agreed position.

Among issues in the petition is the stand of the graduates to shutdown CNL operations in their territories over the company's misappropriation of job opportunities, all to the detriment of host communities.

The graduates' position inter alia was further buttressed by the various Chevron Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs) that requested CNL should call for a meeting to resolve the issues raised by the graduates in their petition.

The reasons for the walkout by the graduates at the scheduled meeting with CNL as contained in their statement reads;

"The meeting called by Chevron on Oct 31 couldn't continue because of a walkout by host communities leadership. The immediate cause of the 'walk-out' was when the company finally called for the meeting requested of them by the HCDTs, but advertently or inadvertently stood the community leaders up for over two hours. By the time they finally arrived, the Warri Area Manager who led CNL made some flimsy excuses of 'personal emergency.'

"The HCDTs and 3is grouse was the excuse. They poised that the company could as well make a replacement for the Area Manager if he was so entangled with personal challenges. The HCDTs and 3is therefore see the company's behaviour as utter disregard for leaders of the host communities.

"Another unfortunate incident perpetrated by CNL that disrupted the meeting was the dramatic introduction of certain individuals who were not captured in earlier correspondence with the HCDTs and 3is. These individuals were asked to be part of a meeting that was restricted to the HCDTs and 3is. We see this as a divide and rule tactic to cause ill feelings and quarrel amongst us.

"The third challenge was when the CNL delegation was asked if they could make decisions on behalf of the company. But they bluntly responded in the negative.

"It was, therefore, at that juncture that the 3is and the HCDTs delegation demanded for a general manager with decision-making capacity to lead the Chevron team," the graduates stated.

Going forward, the coalition of graduates listed fresh demands that should be met by November 8, failing which it will "carry out simultaneous protests in the Escravos Tank Farm, Warri Area office, and all field locations in Delta and Ondo states" as well as "shut down Chevron Operations nationwide."

The 3is demands that "(1) Chevron management should immediately reschedule a meeting before Nov 8, 2024; (2) The Chevron team should be led by a minimum of a general manager; (3) The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should call Chevron management to order and do the needful immediately; and (4) The NUPRC and NCDMB management should call Chevron management to order and request them to do the needful."

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