…Threaten To Shut Out Company
… Seek Gov Wike’s Intervention
Omoku Community, headquarter of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has voiced its discontent over the level of deprivation and abject neglect foisted on its communities by the Agip Oil Company which it alleges has been operating for over 50years without any evidence of sustainable development of the resources and people. The community has warned that if its grievances are not acted upon, it will be forced to shut out the company from its operating environment, while appealling to Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, to wade in to the crises with a view to bringing succor to the neglected people.
This was the major focus of a press conference organized by the Omoku community, comprising the 27 units of communities at the Earnest Ikoli Press Centre, Moscow Road in Port Harcourt on Monday.
In his address, the President-General of Omoku Youth Federation (OYF), Ambassador Hopson Mezieuzor Ahiakwo traced the community frosty relationship with Agip Oil Company to 1971, when the oil company began to carry out oil exploration in the area without giving back to the host communities and rather, he noted that the company acted in gross violation of its Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU) which in turn led to calls for Global Memorandum of Understanding, GMOU which was expected to take care of the sustainable development of the entire community in the areas of education, employment, scholarship, contract awards, among others but to no avail.
The President, Omoku Youth Federation alleged that for over 50 years since the Agip Oil Company had been operating in the communities, there was no Environmental Impact Assessment of the area being carried out. “The company decided to stay insensitive to the plight of Omoku Community”, which he lamented has the highest oil wells in the State. He stated that the over 300 oil wells, being operated in Omoku Communities have been decimated to about 150, which he referred to as “dry wells”.
The henchman of the association also recalled that between 2006-2010, the Oil Company claimed that it was embarking on International Farm, which became non-existent till today. He accused Agip Oil Company of divide and rule tactics which only succeeded in taking care of a part while assuming it was taking care of all, leading to internal crisis in the community.
He informed the gathering that in view of the developments, the group had explored options by registering its grievances with relevant bodies, which include the state and national assemblies, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs among others, all to no avail.
Ambassador Hopson Anyaku further chronicled the abject conditions his people were subjected to following the activities of the Agip Oil Company in the land. These include the fact that over the years the company denied youths of the community employment as other ethnic nationalities were engaged, lack of infrastructural development – “No single road from Agip as well as denying their claim of scholarship to only a unit in the community without extending same to others. He alleged the prevalence of black sooth dominating the community with attendant health challenges, apart from absence of good drinking water and general environmental degradation.
He went further to allege that the oil company now breeds criminals same way it did by granting surveillance contracts to the late Don Wany, adding that the company is still busy breeding another set of Don Wany.
But he appealed for quick interventions of the State Governor whom he saluted for having succeeded in previous intervention in similar cases in the State. He expressed the fact that Governor Wike as Crusader of the people should wade in to ameliorate the plight of the people who had suffered deprivation as a result of alleged exploitation by the company.
The Youth Leader was confident that Governor Wike’s interest in the matter “will continue to make Agip Oil Company our tenant”.
Also speaking in similar vein, the Chairman, Community Development Committee, CDC, Omoku Zone, Comrade Emeka Ogbowu, accused Agip Oil Company of exploring oil and gas without creating employment opportunities for the youth. He accused the company of setting one community one against the other.
