By Onome Oghenetega
Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) on Friday assured that it would continue to remain an “equal opportunity employer” for all qualified candidates seeking employment with the company in the country.
The multinational oil company, however, debunked an online media report (not NIGER DELTA TODAY Online) purportedly accusing an employee of the firm of allegedly derailing the employment of some graduates under the Vocational Training Program (VTP) and Operations Training Program (OTP) as regular staff of CNL.
CNL, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and CNL Joint Venture, clarified that the oil firm had no designation as “General Manager of EGP” as being alleged in the report.
The clarification was contained in a statement signed by CNL’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Olusoga Oduselu, on Friday.
According to the statement, the Vocational Training Program (VTP) and Operations Training Program (OTP) were a sponsored corporate social responsibility initiative intended to train and help develop certain skills and capacity of selected beneficiaries from the local communities.
“This assertion is not only misleading but also unfounded in its entirety. First, the referenced office or position of a “General Manager of EGP” does not exist in CNL. Also, CNL has always adhered to a transparent and merit-based recruitment process, ensuring equal opportunities for all qualified candidates and devoid of interference by any party.
“As regards reference to the VTP and OTP for some graduates several years ago, CNL affirms that the NNPCL/CNL’s sponsorship of the VTP and OTP was a corporate social responsibility initiative intended to train and help develop certain skills and capacity of selected beneficiaries from the local communities and other parts of Nigeria in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. It was not a recruitment process into CNL. CNL did not make any commitment in this regard to the beneficiaries.
“CNL is an equal opportunity employer, and its recruitment process is transparent and fair and provides equal opportunity for all qualified candidates to participate in its hiring process based on organizational requirements and business needs. However, CNL encourages qualified candidates from communities neighbouring its operations to participate in its recruitment process.
“CNL reiterates its commitment, within available resources and opportunities, to continue working with its community stakeholders and other partners to maintain peace and contribute positively to sustainable community and socio-economic development,” the statement added.
