…Calls for Environmental Protection, Stronger Media Engagement
By Priscilla Christopher-Akpanettot
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Nsibiet John, has called on the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning to encourage Akwa Ibom people to explore employment and career opportunities in the oil and gas sector beyond the traditional preference for politics and civil service jobs.
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John made the call during the ongoing ministerial media briefing in Uyo on Tuesday, October13, where the Commissioner for Labour and Manpower Planning, Elder Ikoedem Ekong, presented the ministry’s achievements and interventions in workers’ welfare, industrial relations, manpower development and employment generation under the ARISE Agenda of Governor Umo Eno.
The NUJ Chairman urged the Commissioner to ensure that employment slots and opportunities in oil and gas companies operating in the State were made accessible to qualified Akwa Ibom indigenes rather than being sold to non-indigenes.
He stressed the need for deliberate efforts to sensitise residents, particularly youths, to the diverse career opportunities available in the oil and gas industry, noting that the sector could provide a viable pathway to employment, economic empowerment and self-reliance.
John said the State government, through the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning, should strengthen its engagement with oil and gas companies to promote fair recruitment practices and ensure that indigenes benefit meaningfully from the natural resources extracted from their communities.
He also drew attention to the environmental challenges confronting host communities of oil and gas companies, observing that some communities had suffered environmental degradation arising from industrial activities.
To address the situation, he called on the government to ensure that oil and gas companies entered into binding memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with their host communities, with clear provisions for environmental protection, corporate responsibility and the prevention of activities that could further degrade the environment.
The NUJ Chairman maintained that protecting host communities should be an integral part of the state's engagement with oil and gas operators, adding that sustainable industrial development must take into account the welfare, livelihoods and environmental rights of the people.
John further appealed to the Commissioner and other members of the State Executive Council to strengthen their relationship with the media by involving journalists in the activities of their respective ministries.
He urged Commissioners to fortify their ministries’ media and publicity units with the necessary personnel, resources and working tools to facilitate effective information dissemination.
“Commissioners should fortify the media and publicity unit of their ministries to enable information trickle down,” he said.
According to him, a properly equipped media unit would help government ministries communicate their policies, programmes and achievements more effectively, enabling residents to understand and assess government interventions.
The NUJ chairman’s intervention came against the backdrop of the ministry’s reported achievements in workers’ welfare and industrial relations, including the facilitation of ₦100 billion out of ₦111 billion in inherited gratuity arrears and the clearance of ₦180 million in salary arrears owed to workers across several establishments.
Presenting the ministry’s scorecard, Commissioner Ekong said the government had continued to pursue industrial harmony through dialogue, mediation and consultations with organised labour, employers, trade unions and host communities.
He disclosed that the ministry facilitated ₦150 million in gratuities and entitlements for former workers of the defunct Akwa Palms Limited, which had been closed for more than 17 years.
Ekong also said the ministry facilitated the payment of six months’ outstanding salaries amounting to ₦180 million to workers in several establishments, including Saint Gabriel Coconut Plantations in Mkpat Enin, Ini, Oruk Anam and Eket; Airport Flower Maintenance; cocoa farms at Ikot Inieme, Okpo and Itu Mbonuso; the Live Bird Market in Uyo; and Ibom Green House.
He added that Governor Umo Eno approved two additional months of salary for the affected workers beyond their initial request.
The Commissioner further disclosed that the Ministry had intervened in disputes involving unions and associations in the education, judiciary, agriculture, legislature, transport and public service sectors, with the objective of resolving grievances through constructive engagement and in accordance with labour laws.
On relations between oil companies and host communities, Ekong said the state government established the Akwa Ibom State Labour and Industrial Committee on February 13, 2025, to strengthen engagement among government, oil companies, host communities and other stakeholders, while facilitating employment opportunities for youths.
A tripartite committee involving the state government, Sterling Petrochemicals and Fertilizer Limited, and the Eastern Obolo communities of Iko-Nta and Obianga was subsequently established on February 26, 2025.
According to him, the committees had helped address disputes involving communities in Udung-Uko Local Government Area and Amalgamated Oil Company of Nigeria, as well as disagreements involving Iko-Nta, Obianga, Atabrikang I and II in Eastern Obolo and Ibeno Local Government Areas and Ibom Developers FZE.
He said negotiations were ongoing to secure employment opportunities for indigenes of the affected communities.
The Commissioner also highlighted the implementation of the ₦80,000 minimum wage for state workers from November 1, 2024; continued payment of the 13th-month salary, popularly known as Eno-Mber; settlement of outstanding 7.5 per cent contributory pension deductions; and the introduction of a health insurance scheme for public servants.
Other interventions included pension increases for eligible retirees, payment of leave grants, training and retraining programmes, provision of modern working tools and the processing of promotions for eligible workers.
In manpower development, Ekong said the ministry facilitated the annual training of 310 Akwa Ibom indigenes in collaboration with the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, with 10 participants drawn from each of the state's 31 local government areas.
On employment generation, he disclosed that records compiled so far indicated 7,069 employment and engagement opportunities across several professional categories, including teaching, healthcare, law, occupational safety and other fields.
He also stated that approximately 4,000 people had been employed through projects in the first year of the administration.
John’s intervention underscored the need for employment policies that give qualified indigenes a fair chance in the oil and gas industry, protect communities from environmental harm and ensure that government activities and achievements are effectively communicated to the public.
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