The Council Chairman, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Chief Tiwei O. Idowei, has described the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) as the most outstanding firm in the fulfillment of corporate social responsibility to host communities in the area.

The chairman made the commendation at the official commissioning of 1.18 kilometer road and drainage project by NAOC and its joint venture partners in Okpotuwari Community, Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State on Thursday.

He said that with the commissioning of the road and drainage, the people will have free movement and accessibility with their neigbours. While challenging other oil companies operating in the area to emulate the gesture, he noted that NAOC has been in the fore front of transforming the lives of the host communities in their operation areas in the LGA.

The council boss urged the community to maintain the existing cordial relationship between them and protect the oil installations in their area for more development to be attracted, saying that the council will not treat kindly to any act of sabotage or vandalisation of oil pipeline and installation. He cautioned that pipeline vandalisation would bring about oil spill, which in turn would pollute the river, the only source of drinking water to the community.

The General Manager, District, NAOC, represented by the Public Relation, Communication and Government Laision Manager, Prince Nwachuku Obi, said sequel to the Memorandum of Understanding reached with Okpotuwari Community in 2007, the road project was awarded to an indigenous contractor Dehelicon Integrated Services in 2008 and completed in 2011 as part of its policy to develop host communities through the provisions of various amenities.

According to him, the construction of the 1.18km concrete road and drainage project will alleviate the transport difficulties and help to checkmate erosion and flooding menace in Okpotuwari town.

While urging the community to sustain the enabling environment for the operations of the joint venture partners to thrive, he assured that Agip will continue to pursue the objective of adding value and improvement on the living standards of its host communities.

The Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment representative, Ezekiel Adike lauded Agip’s efforts in complementing the state governments vision toward the provision of rural amenities to the communities and urged the community to protect and utilise it judiciously.

Earlier, in an address by Chief Joel Kreke, the community, thanked Agip for boosting the social, economic and commercial activities of the community they also appealed that a new 250KVA generating plant and 150 poles should be sent to them to boost power supply as the voltage of the existing one is below capacity.

Other demands include review of the Mou, increment of secondary school scholarship to 10 and that of tertiary institution to six, equipment for health centre and construction of six additional link roads in the community.

Okpotuwari Community assured to sustain the existing peaceful co-existance among the stakeholders, as well as interrupted oil activities in the area.