Isoko oil producing communities in Delta State have cried out to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori over their neglect, stating they deserve a better treatment from the governor.
Governor Oborevwori enjoyed massive votes last year from Isoko South and North, which helped him emerge as the governor of the state. Besides, significant part of the oil and gas that make Delta State to receive one of the highest allocations from the Federation Account comes from Isoko Nation.
However, as the governor marks his one year in office, the people of the oil producing communities have said they are not feeling the impact of Oborevwori’s administration as expected. The communities include Olomoro, Irri, Idheze, Ellu, Oleh, Uzere, Ovrode, Igbide, among others.
The communities, under the aegis of Isoko Oil Producing Communities Stakeholders Forum, in the statement have therefore, called on Governor Oborevwori to take immediate action by ensuring that they feel a sense of belonging in his administration instead being neglected.
According to the statement, signed by the Coordinator of the forum, Mr. Felix Edafe, “We trusted and voted overwhelmingly for our amiable Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori because of this M.O.R.E agenda and his performance track record when he was Speaker of the Delta State House Assembly.
According to Edafe one year after, what we are seeing is making us to be very uncomfortable. The governor has been focusing on the state capital, Asaba and other cities but neglecting the rural areas and their people. The governor has started many projects in Asaba, Warri, Ughelli and others but nothing to show in communities that produce this oil and gas.
He opined that apart from road projects in the cities, the governor recently commissioned the Delta High Court Complex and gifted SUVs cars to all the judges. Also, National Assembly legislators were gifted SUVs, saying that for the past six months, nothing has come to communities for their development and empowerment of their people. Despite receiving huge allocations from the federation account, these communities are being starved and neglected.
Read also: Jonathan inaugurates Delta High Court Complex
“We are therefore bringing it to the attention of the governor to act now in order to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the oil producing communities in particular and all Deltans in general,” the statement said.
The communities explained that further delay in attending to the needs of the communities could lead to the people resorting to self-help which may have negative consequences for the state and nation at large.
“It is unbelievable that a state that received over N38 billion as allocation in February, for instance, has failed to take care of the goose that lay the golden egg. The communities have been very peaceful, protecting the oil facilities but it is very painful that the money are used to develop other parts and the communities where the oil and gas come from and their people are neglected and starved”.
They therefore appealed to the governor to act now. “Our communities need infrastructure and our youths need empowerment through skill acquisitions and others. We need money to do all these. The governor should kindly do something fast”.
“He should not wait until the communities begin to take the streets for protest or stop oil producing companies from operating in their domains before he acts,” the statement added.
