Community Protests Over Uncompleted Road Project

The Ogbele community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State has on Thursday 1st July,2010 embarked on a massive protest over the uncompleted 7.93 kilometer stretch of road from Odiabidi to Obumeze leading into the community.

The Niger Delta Development Resources [NDPR] an indigenous oil firm operating in the community has proposed a commissioning of an uncompleted road project on 1st July,2010,constructed by a contracting firm MIFE Construction Company,was hitherto halted by the community through a peaceful demonstration.

The paramount ruler of the community, HRH Eze Evans Onyebuchi Awuji who spoke to newsmen shortly after the protest, decried the low spate of development within the community, stressing that the oil firm has operated in the area for over sixteen years without a single project, he however noted that before any commissioning will take place the kilometer stretch of 7.93 against the 1.73 already constructed must be completed, hinting that the money used for the road construction was community money derived from the 5% proceeds from oil sales as agreed by both parties in the Memorandum Of Understanding [MOU] which has expired without its implementation by the oil firm.

While lamenting that the community doesn’t have basic amenities like portable water, health care, electricity, road, primary education, human capacity building, advanced scholarship scheme, he posited that unemployment has taken a center stage in the community, adding that the youths are suffering as a result of unemployment and manpower development, maintaining that the community have produced graduates and yet the company has failed to employ them, he insisted that the Niger Delta Development Resources[NDPR] should provide all these basic needs of Ogbele community or will face dire consequence.

He said that the era has gone where the people’s will and right will be compromised by an oil firm, however petitioned all relevant agencies, especially government to wade into the matter so that the people’ yearnings will not be truncated.