As Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemical Company Limited gears up to begin the execution of the IEFCL Train-3 project, the Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Chief Obarilomate Ollor, has tasked Indorama to prioritize employment, security and power supply in the project plan for the host communities.
Chief Ollor gave the task at the stakeholders engagements/public forum ESIA for the proposed Train-3 project organised by the management of the company to enlighten communities and other stakeholders that may be affected by the project.
Ollor called for a structural approach targeted at the training and engagement of prospective youths of Eleme ahead the project.
Ollor said, “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 employments are 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 got the requisite 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 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 Indorama to support the local government in providing with logistics and synergy with Eleme Youth Council.
Chief Ollor said, “In the area of security, the youths don’t want to protest anymore like 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 benefit from the products in Indorama will not, so you need to prioritise the area of security.
Oneh-Eh Eleme, Emere Philip Obele
“More so in 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 will find it comforting to reside here with us.”
The council chairman condemned the proliferation of illegal sand mining activities and dumping of waste around the Okuluriver, near the Indorama complex and vowed to put a stop to it.
“As a local government we are going to enforce this 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,” he said.
The Train-3 fertilizer plant, which will have a production capacity of 2,300 metric tonnes a 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 totaling approximately 80 hectares.
