* Beneficiaries Decry Conditions, Plead to Be Sent Home

* IOC Insists Optimum Welfare Was Availed Participants

A vocational training programme sponsored by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) has hit the rocks as the participants and the company disagree on the conditions associated with the three month programme.

Participants in a 3-Month Intensive Vocational Training for 80 women from Rivers State organized by the NNPC/MPN Joint Venture in partnership with the Olupona Fish Farming and Resource (OFFER) Centre protested on the morning of Saturday, October 16, 2021 against the conditions they claim they were being subjected to.

According to the women drawn from Bonny, Eleme and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas of Rivers State, they were not told the specifics of the conditions attached to the programme until they got to the OFFER Centre, located inside the Institute of Agriculture, Oluponna, Osun State.

MPNU, which is the Nigerian subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Irving, Texas, and owns the Bonny River Terminal (BRT) located in Finima, Bonny LGA, countered the claims, asserting that its representatives ensured full disclosure regarding the programme prior to its onset with the participants.

A response to Kristina Reports’ email inquiry from its Manager, Media and Communications, Ogechukwu Udeagha, stated that ExxonMobil Nigeria in partnership with the Offer Centre “provided extensive benefits to ensure beneficiaries have an optimal experience during the period of the training,” maintaining that the company “remains committed to working with our community stakeholders on such community assistance initiatives”.  

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But a statement posted on the verified Facebook account of one of the participants, Telema Faithful Banigo, listed the issues as:

“MESSAGE FROM RIVERS STATE WOMEN FROM BONNY, OGU-BOLO & ELEME LGA.

Things going wrong with the ExxonMobil three (3) months Entrepreneurship Development Programme.

1) A 2021 programme sponsored by Mobil and executed by OFFER Centre Institute of Agriculture, Oluponna, Osun State is on a 2018 budget.

2) No information on starter pack, before take-off from various local government areas in Rivers state to OSUN STATE.

3) No Bursary and fine (Stipends) for trainees.

4) Low quality meals/quantity, and even bad protein (meat) served with some meals for us to eat.

5) Our skins have been infected by insect because of the forest surrounded by Us.

6) Poor medical attention and inadequate medical personnel and manpower.

   Almost no stipulated or adequate amount to cover health issues…

Information was kept from us till we got to the training centre (OFFERCENTRE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE, Oluponna, Iwo, Osun State.

Information was withheld by the ExxonMobil officials during the screening, and at the take-off point (Corpus Christy, D-Line, Port Harcourt.

We were guaranteed security, but none was sighted to and fro the journey from PORT HARCOURT TO IWO, OSUN STATE.

At the 2nd day of the training, the information that was withheld about the starter pack was revealed to Us.

We the trainees were disappointed at the information.

This officials refuse to give out this information till we got to the training centre, cos they know it will be difficult for Us to embark on a journey of 12hrs, and they know we will not accept to embark on the journey for the training.

The Starter Pack is not worth embarking on a 3 months journey with N100,000 worth materials (not cash) and monthly stipends of N2,000 for each trainees.”

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In a chat with Kristina Reports, one of the participants, Perpetual Green explained that they were compelled to sign all sorts of undertaking indemnifying ExxonMobil and OFFER Centre from any eventualities while attending the programme, maintaining that no details about the food, medicals, stipends and starter packs were availed them before embarking on the trip from Port Harcourt.

Another participant, Ibitoru told Kristina Reports that “I’m going home. I can’t continue with this kind of condition. They have told us nothing will change, they are not going to increase the starter pack from N100,000 or the food or give us anything to take care of our health”.

“When we met with them in Bonny before the programme started they promised us everything, sugarcoated everything only for us to get here and nothing of such.”

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“They told us after the programme they will give us everything we need to start our business, but we got here and found out that the starter were worth just a N100,000 and we were wondering why…because, like me that is doing catering, what kind of catering equipment can that be.”

When Kristina Reports contacted ExxonMobil Nigeria over the issue, its Manager, Media and Communications, Ogechukwu Udeagha clarified that “The NNPC/MPN Joint Venture is partnering with the Olupona Fish Farming and Resource (OFFER) Centre to provide a 3-month intensive vocational training for 80 women from Rivers State”.

“The training covers areas such as catering, fashion designing, agriculture, and craft.

This is a non-obligatory community assistance initiative to improve access to economic opportunities for women in the communities.”

“Nomination of participants was done by the communities and communicated to OFFER Centre.”

“Participants were fully briefed about the requirements and benefits of the initiative prior to mobilization to the OFFER Centre.”

Efforts to reach the Rector of the OFFER Centre, Reverend Father Bernard Azeez, for his reaction on the issue proved abortive as at the time of this report.