By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
There is a palpable looming tensions and crisis in Imo State Oil producing Community of Ohaji Egbema, Oguta and Oru East over the inability of the Oil Exploration Company operating in the area to maintain the past agreement reached with the Community to ensure practical development and employment of some qualified citizens into the company rather than to Sack few employed ones.
Taking a protest to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs Owerri Imo State, last Monday 8 May, 2023 youth’s of Ohaji Egbema, Oguta and Oru East numbering over Two thousand hugging placards with unpleasant write-ups against SEPLAT Oil Company operating in Izombe community Oguta, Ohaji Egbema and it’s environs for gross negligence and manipulations of the people to suffer more hardships and abject poverty with the total disregard to the earlier accepted GMOU agreements and unwittingly Sacking of their children from the company without any cogent and verifiable reasons.
Speaking, Barr. Ezekwesiri Nwauwa, who expressed his displeasure with the oil company operating in the area and called on the Commissioner for Niger Delta Affairs, Prince Henry Okafor to use his office to mitigate in the crisis to bring the oil company’s to order to avoid escalation of violence, break down of law and order in the area. By quickly ensuring that the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma good legacies in the area is protected and commended him for the ongoing projects in the area such as the Dredging of Urashi River to Degema and the appointment of Prince Henry Okafor Former Executive Managing Director ISOPADEC into the ministry as the Commissioner for Niger Delta Affairs Imo State and described him as a test and trustworthy man.
Speaking, Comd. Victor Amadi, said that, the youth of the oil community in Imo State are sad and grief over the ill activities of the oil company’s operating in the area and called on the Commissioner to help them by ensuring that Mr. Ifeanyi Obilor the CLO SEPLAT Oil Company is reinstated with immediate effects to avoid break down of law and order.
In a separate speeches, Comd. Nnamdi ,Mr. Cajethan Nwosu, Chairman Jisike Regional Development Foundation (JRDF) and Hon. Sunday Millers Coordinator Anioma Development Center in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. Said that the peace and security of the company workers are no longer guaranteed in Izombe Community and pointed out that the only solution to peace include, firstly, Reinstatement of the sacked CLo SEPLAT Oil Company, Mr. Ifeanyi Obilor, secondly, Employment of Five Youth’s each from Ohaji Egbema, Oguta and Oru East as established in the memorandum of understanding, thirdly, taking care of of the social responsibility task to develop the area through road infrastructure and electricity.
Responding, Prince Henry Okafor thanked them for the peaceful protest and promised to deliver the message to the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma.
He condemned any unholy and ill treatment approach of the company to the staff but explained that he will first and foremost get to the root to unravel the truth and promised to do something positive to ensure that the young man is reinstated immediately.
He used the medium to elucidate more on the good work of the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma to the people of the Oil Community in Ohaji Egbema Oguta and Oru East Councils respectively and called on them to embrace the governor’s ideology in the Skillup Imo Youth program to ensure that the young people from the area are retrained ahead of any possible job opportunity both from the government and Oil Companies.
” I’m calling on you to maintain peace and order, embrace the governor’s ideology to participate in the Skillup Imo Youth programs, prepare yourself for the next level. Thank you for the commendation. What we need is your support to succeed as a government”. Henry Okafor.
