Quit Our Land, Egbema People Tell SPDC

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (left) conferring with His Eminence, Eze Chukumela Nnam Obi II, Oba of Ogbaland, former chairman, Rivers State council of Traditional Rulers at the 78th Quarterly meeting of the council held on Thursday.

The Egbemas in Rivers and Imo States have called on the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) to hasten up the process of dismantling its facilities from their land, just as they also pleaded with the Federal Government to end gas flaring this year.

The speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Goodluck N. Opiah said this at the reception organised in his honour and Sir Mike Okiro the former Inspector-General of Police at Okwuzi in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State.

Rt. Hon. Opiah said that Shell has refused to contribute towards the development of Egbema Kingdom both in Rivers State and Imo State despite its long years of operation in the area stressing that the people are now on their knees praying for Shell to quit their kingdom.

The Imo State Speaker, also criticized the marginalization of the Egbemas in Rivers State, stressing that apart from the dilapidated secondary school at Okwuzi, there is nothing on ground to show the presence of the government in the area.

In is speech, the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said that the state government would identify with the Sir Mike Okiro Educational Foundation for the less privileged.

The governor who was represented by the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Tonye Harry, promised that the state government would look into the needs of the people with a view to taking action.

Dignitaries who attended the event includes, the Eze Ogba of Ogbaland and former chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Eminence Chukwumela Nnam Obi and others.