– Frowns at illegal Mining Activities around Okulu River…
The Executive Chairman of Eleme LGA Council Chief Hon Obarilomate Ollor has tasked Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited (IEFCL) to prioritize Job employment, security and power supply in their project management plan for the proposed IEFCL Train-3 Project.
Chief Ollor made this statement at the stakeholders’ engagements/public forum ESIA for the proposed train-3 project organised by the management of Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited (IEFCL) to enlighten communities and other interested stakeholders that may be direct or indirect beneficiaries or affected by the proposed project. Ollor called for a structural approach targeted at the training and engagement of prospective youths of Eleme ahead of the project.
“what our people are thinking of now is an increase in the benefits to the community. What you are doing presently has to be multiplied by four, especially in the area of employment. Let us not just be hearing that employment is coming and the ones going to our people should not be helpers for construction workers. let it be substantive employment. Preference should be given to them. If you feel they have not gotten the prerequisite training, find a way to engage them in training and absorb them accordingly As you are planning for this project to come up, why not deliberately send some persons out to be trained or they can also be trained on-site there? Aside from that, your community development programme has been good and I know you can improve on it”
The Eleme Council Chairman also harped on the need for improved security via the provision of logistics and synergy with the Eleme youth council. “In the area of security, the youths don’t want to protest anymore as they have said, but you have to support them with logistics. Provide vehicles for them because if the environment is not safe, investors won’t come in. Smaller industries that would have also sprung up and benefited from the products in Indorama will not, so you need to prioritise the area of security. More so is the area of power supply, you need to do all you can in that area. People come to work here and at the close of work leave this place daily because of inadequate power supply but if such utilities are adequate here, they will not only work here but will find it comforting to reside here with us.”
Chief Ollor further frowned at the proliferation of illegal Mining Activities and dumping of waste around the Okulu River and promised to put a stop to it. “As a local government, we are going to enforce these negative environmental habits which include mining and dumping of refuse in our rivers. This Government is very Proactive and when we take on any matter, be rest assured we will handle it decisively”
The proposed train-3 fertilizer plant which will have a production capacity of 2,300MT/Day of Ammonia and 4,000MT/Day of Urea will utilize natural gas as its basic raw material and will be sited on a land space totalling approximately 80 hectares.
Signed.
Onugweonwi Ate Chinwi
Chief Press Secretary
Eleme LG Council
January 14, 2023
