Ijaw Youth Council and affiliates on Thursday shutdown an ongoing construction work at an oil and gas park in Bayelsa State.
The facility is being built by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board located at Emeyal under Ogbia council area of the state.
According to the youth, their action was caused by the lopsidedness on the employment ratio due the host community.
They said the companies working at the site failed to comply with the Local Content Development and Monitoring Board’s guideline by absorbing 80 per cent of skilled and unskilled labour chances of host communities in the ongoing project phase.
The companies are rather operating on 20 per cent of its workforce from its host community and 80 per cent being given to total strangers.
They also alleged that those engaged by the companies have being laid off.
“Some of the few workers from the host communities have been suspended indefinitely for no reason.
“This is in addition to total neglect by the companies on providing adequate benefits to the people in the area as stipulated on the contract papers.”
When SaharaReporters contacted the board, the media the unit said it was working on a response as at press time.
