Eastern Obolo leaders in Akwa Ibom State have vented anger over infrastructural neglect of the area by the Federal Government despite their enormous contributions in oil and gas exploration to the economic well-being of the country.
Leading the pack, Victoria Tallick, the Chairman of Eastern Obolo local government area, represented by the Vice chairman, Daniel Loveday Ekujok expressed their anger over neglect of the area by the government being a major`producer of on-shore and off-shore crude oil.
Tallick who stated this Thursday when members of National Assembly Committee on Oil and Gas led by Senator Bassey Albert visited oil-bearing communities in the area on a fact-finding tour said despite oil and gas exploration in the area, poverty is the only trademark of the people.
The chairman tasked the committee members to not only embark on fact-finding tour of the area but to implement their recommendations to benefit the people.
In his contribution, Adasi Ubulom, a one-time state commissioner for Lands and Urban Renewal expressed surprise that the area with more than eight oil companies is languishing in abject poverty and neglect.
Ubulom stated that oil exploration activities in the area have destroyed the sources of livelihood of the people and polluted the environment, while the youths are not employed by the oil companies and infrastructure are denied inhabitants of the area.
According to him, “No potable water, no job opportunities, no single tarred road done for us. Is it a crime to be a minority? This time around with our Permanent Voters Card (PVC), we will express our anger.”
Speaking too, Dr. Charles Mbong, a Special Assistant to the state Governor on Health, who is an indigene of the area, said militancy started when some Niger Deltans visited Abuja and were amazed by the resources spent in developing the city and how some Nigerians were living in affluence from oil wells to the total neglect of their communities; they came back to start the agitation.
“The people wondered what the oil producing communities have to show for its environmental degradation, oli pollution, poisonous gas, acid rain and aquatic destruction,” Mbong noted.
The special adviser, therefore, called on the National Assembly to take a critical look on the oil-bearing communities and submit a robust report on their findings, calling on the executive arm of government to be sensitive to alleviating their plights.
He, however, pledged to make their position known by submitting a document to the National Assembly during their public hearings for consideration.
Senator Bassey Albert, the leader of National Assembly Committee on Oil and Gas said they decided to visit all the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region to see things by themselves.
Albert said they set out to acquaint themselves with peculiarities of oil communities to enable the National Assembly to deliberate and pass the bill on oil and gas into law.
He added that they were asked to look into possibility of achieving the 13 per cent oil derivation, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as well as the Ministry of Niger Delta, noting that the tour will enable the National Assembly to do a thorough work on the passage of oil and gas bill.
Findings by Straightnews show that people in the area drink streams in Iko and Okorette, among others and while some patronise ponds during dry season.
A cursory look shows that abandoned water works initiated by Shell Producing Development Company of Nigeria years ago adorn some villages in the area.
It is alleged that some privileged indigenes of the area usually collect huge contracts from some servicing and oil companies for the provision of potable water and would abandon such, thus compounding hardships for the rural dwellers.
A source that did not want to disclose identity told Straightnews that some indigenes of the area are the cause of underdevelopment in that they usually corner contracts for the construction of the roads, provision of boreholes and award of scholarships to themselves and their cronies to the detriment of the common good of all.
Unfortunately too, the state government that has been collecting 13 per cent on derivation oil principle from the Excess Crude Account fails to use such money to develop oil-bearing communities even in the state.
“Unlike Delta State government that has set up oil producing development commission to administer the funds, Akwa Ibom government has failed to set up a commission for effective utilisation of the funds beneficial to oil producing areas,” the source bemoaned.
