The Egbema Youth Council, on Saturday lifted its 14-day ultimatum given to the operators of OML 40, NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture Nig. Ltd, following the intervention of the Warri North Council Chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu and warned the companies to honour the GMoU.
The youth council had, in their last meeting on August 30, 2021, issued a 14- day ultimatum to the operators of the joint ventures company to address their 7-point demands, that failure to comply will shut down their operations in the area.
In a press conference in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area, yesterday, the President-General of Egbema Youth Council, Ebidouwei Miyenpirigha, said the body suspended the ultimatum to allow NPDC/Elcrest Nig. Ltd Joint Ventures to address issues raised by the youth Council.
The President-General said the 7-point demands that led to the 14-day ultimatum include: an upward review of the amount for the award of scholarship, capital projects infrastructure in the catchment area and non-capital projects for traditional rulers, among others.
He said they had also pleaded that the scholarship extended to cover post-graduate studies to the level of Masters and P.hD degrees, adding that they are also aware of bursary schemes but since NPDC/Elcrest took over from SPDC in 2013, they have not enjoyed any of those benefits.
The President General said, “we want to appeal to government to compel NPDC to do all the capital projects they promised such as water, 24 hours electricity, market, classrooms block, walkways, sand-filling of the communities, palace for traditional rulers and other infrastructure or we will stop their operations.
“We also reminded OML-40 operators of their promise to pay stipends to members of the host and impacted communities and central youth body to assist them in their administrative duties, employment for Egbema youths which form part of the GMoU, since they are academically qualified. No Egbema youth is employed as staff of the company.”
