Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, the founder and senior pastor of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), has successfully brokered an employment partnership with a petroleum firm based in Saudi Arabia to recruit over 300 Nigerian nationals. Speaking from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday, the cleric announced that candidate screenings are already underway domestically to fill various positions within the Middle Eastern oil sector.
What motivated the employment initiative and how were candidates chosen? Chinyere explained that his intervention stems from deep concern regarding the rising rate of joblessness among Nigerian youth and a commitment to easing economic hardships. Emphasizing that the government cannot shoulder national development alone, he noted that the selection process was conducted transparently across diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds, including Muslim participants. Furthermore, several beneficiaries include children of fallen police officers who previously benefited from international scholarship programs facilitated by his ministry.
What qualifications do the successful applicants possess? The cleric clarified that the recruits underwent rigorous, specialized training in petroleum- related disciplines, ensuring they secure professional technical roles rather than menial positions. The acquired proficiencies include pipe fabrication, machining, payloader operation, bulldozer handling, side-boom operation, and structural fitting. Chinyere pointed to the OPM multi-skills acquisition center—funded through church tithes and offerings—as the primary incubator for preparing these workers with industry-standard proficiencies in welding, scaffolding, rigging, and marine engineering.
What other social interventions does the ministry manage? Beyond employment placement, the cleric highlighted several humanitarian projects, including two free specialist hospitals in Port Harcourt and Abia State that offer complimentary medical care, diagnostics, and maternal surgeries to mitigate mortality rates. Additionally, the ministry oversees 46 tuition-free educational institutions across various regions, featuring specialized facilities such as an all-girls technical college and an inclusive academy for children with autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome. In terms of housing support, OPM has constructed 19 free residential estates providing shelter to vulnerable populations, including families repatriated from South Africa following historical xenophobic incidents.