Business
ONELGA Community Berates Agip Over Neglect
Residents of Agbida Town in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government have raised alarm over the neglect they suffer from oil companies, especially the Italian oil and gas giant, Nigerian Agip Oil Company of Nigeria (NAOC).
The alarm was made by the Traditional Ruler of the community, EzeEbere Osiah, during an interactive session in his palace with heads of security agencies in the area.
Osiah noted that since the inception of Agip operation in the area, the firm has not impacted positively on the community.
It is against this backdrop, he explained, that the meeting had become imperative to avert future crisis.
So far, he stated that Agip has failed to enter into any memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Agbida community, while calling on the Rivers State Government to wade into the matter.
He wondered what the community had done to Agip despite hosting gas and oil pipelines for decades, explaining that the area suffers from gas flaring as well.
The traditional ruler noted that Agbida was peace loving, and assured that the people would not engage in violence, but insisted that the right thing must be done.
He argued that Agbida supersedes 11 communities of Uju, Egbada, Obrikom, Ubie, Okpurukpauli, Okansu, Obigwe, Idu, Obagi and Obite.
The Chairman of Chiefs’ Council of the community, Chief Innocent EzeAhia, and Community Development Committee Chairman, Chief Monday Okoro also added their voice as they accused Agip of instigating division in the community.
They claimed that as a result of gas flaring, many indigenes have started developing sight problems and other ailments.
The chiefs’ council urged the security agencies to help convey their grievances and requests to the oil firm, stressing that insecurity could only be tackled, if their youths were employed.