ABOH: In other to draw attention to the neglects of the people of the oil rich Ndokwa East Local Government, the people through the Ndoshimili Indigenous People of Ndokwa East, NIPONE, had presented a 13 points demand to the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government which must be achieved within the next 14 days.
According to them, they communities can no longer bear the pain of the underdevelopment of their area, despite the huge resources that is coming from the area.
In a statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Olise Imegwu, Secretary, Dr. Adaobi Ugbomeh and seven others, the people of Ndoshimili, stated that it “is painful to note that although our communities are awash with oil wells, the ownership of which have been given to other people. We have also been denied the benefits of being host to oil, gas and Independent Power Plant. We, as a people have today, resolved to take immediate steps to right these wrongs.”
The statement listed the demands to include the immediate provision of adequate funding and commencement of the Asaba-Oko-Utchi-Aboh-Abalagada-Patani Coastal Road; immediate provision of electricity to all the communities in Ndokwa East; that the Federal Government direct oil and gas exploration companies in the LGA to relocate and maintain operational administrative offices in the area.
While demanding that the right of first refusal be given “to our qualified sons and daughters regarding employment positions in all the oil and gas companies operating in NELGA in the spirit of local content principle,” the statement insisted on the repair of “all roads used by oil and gas companies and their vehicles.”
Calling for the immediate dredging of the River Niger and adjourning rivers in Ndokwa East to curtail the recurrent flooding of the communities, they demanded for the installation of shoreline protection along the bank of the River Niger.
“We are calling for the immediate dredging of the River Niger, and adjourning Rivers in Ndokwa East, and installation of shoreline protection in all our communities on the bank of the River Niger to prevent the annual devastation from flooding of the river.”
According to the statement, “it is very unfortunate that the oil and gas companies have over the years refused to pay tenement rate to NELGA/host communities. We hereby demand the companies to make their payments up to date.”
The statement also requested that all the oil and gas companies provide evidence of MoU compliance for operating in NELGA; that all abandoned NDDC projects be completed immediately; an end to the “practice of some people sitting in Abuja or Asaba to decide what is good for our communities or who will represent our interests, this approach must stop” among other demands.
They stressed that the people of the area can no longer sit and watch the lives of the people destroyed, as the injustice had pushed them to a point of resistance to protect their lives.
