By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Two producing communities in Anambra State, Ogwuikpele and Ogwuaniocha in Ogbaru Local Government Area, have sought the assistance of governor Chukwuma Soludo and other relevant authorities to overcome insecurity, hardships and other challenges facing them since discovery and exploration of oil and gas.
The communities at a courtesy visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Anambra State Solid Minerals Development Company and Anambra Petroleum and Energy Resources, Prof.Charles Ofoegbu, decried over lack of peace, poverty and infrastructural decay which have forced many into refugees.
The communities through the delegates spokesperson during the visit, Mr Olisa Onwuma, alleged that they neither benefit from the oil produced in their domains nor gain permanent employments because the oil firm in Ogbaru had failed to fulfill it promises, including corporate social responsibility towards them.
"We have no hospitals, good and functional schools and hospitals. Our roads are not motorable. Our children usually get drowned in the river while going to schools to neighbouring communities on boats. No single indigene of our communities is in the service of the company as a full time staff," he stated.
Onwuma also lamented that the government's intervention palliatives given out to communities affected by flood have not gotten to them for the past two years and urged governor Chukwuma Soludo's commitment towards alleviating their plights.
Responding, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Anambra State Solid Minerals Development Company and Anambra Petroleum and Energy Resources, Prof.Charles Ofoegbu, pledged government towards bringing peace to the communities through setting up a committee to monitor oil badging and other issues.
"We also agreed that there should be a Fish Processing Plant in Ogbaru; one in Ogwuikpele and one in Ogwuaniocha, in the form of a fish farming Cooperative, where they will harvest, process, package and export fishes", Ofoegbu added.
According to him, "Ogbaru is now in the map of the world, following the oil wells in these two communties, and through my intervention, Anambra State was made an oil producing state. My concern now is, how do you rescue your people because they're suffering? We agreed to set up a committee to monitor badging and the number of times the badges cross the river,the size of the badge and the timing.
" Some people are tampering with the proceeds of our oil and you must not keep quiet. You people are working for the good of the communities and you must earn your salaries to survive,," he maintained, urging them to put all their needs in writing so that he can officially relay them to the State Government.