Yenagoa — Management of the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Brass Local Government Area (LGA), Bayelsa State is to train 120 youths at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), while local contractors would boost their knowledge in procurement and contract execution through workshops.

But the representative of the Brass Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Chief Sam Ateke said though the efforts of the Brass LNG is commendable, the firm should review the award of contracts to expatriate companies, increase numbers of indigenes trained at the senior and lower level and the completion of various contracts proposed for the community under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU).

Managing Director, Brass LNG, Mr. Adoreh Agbah who disclosed this at the opening of the training workshop organized for the local contractors with a theme 'Planning Your Business' said the company has decided to be transparent in all its dealings with the host community and ensure that most of the jobs needed are awarded to the people.

The Managing director who was represented by Mr. Ayebatonye Basuo said the training is being organised by the company for local contractors and the youths was part of effort to meet the local content policy requirement of the federal government.

In his speech, the member of the House of Assembly representing Brass Constituency 1, Chief Sam Ateke said the efforts of the company should be commended and that the House leadership refused to summon them before the floor of the House in spite of the noticeable flaws due to the company's capacity to correct them.

Ateke however noted with concern the recurring issue of the award of contracts to expatriates at a specified cost and the sublet of some of the contract to indigenes at a ridiculous rate," we want to say that the company should not offer us jobs that does not have profit. It is not also late to train senior management staff from the community. It will be good to identify trainable indigenes."

The lawmaker advocated for the quick adoption of the 10 per cent equity for indigenes of the Brass Community in the company and said such partnership will promote development, saying, "as host community we have done everything possible to ensure the peaceful take-off and operations of the company. If we are made partners, it will promote peaceful interaction and operations in the company."

Bayelsa state Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Maxwell Oko, said though the present administration in the state is not satisfied with the number of youths being trained by the company in view of the high number of unemployed youths in there, the governor Timipre Sylva-led administration is ready to partner with the company to further boost the economy of the state.