Bakana Community Disowns Protesters

Chairman of Bakana Community Trust (CT) in Degema Local
Government Area of Rivers State, under the Degema 3 cluster of the Shell Global
Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), Prince Soala Kegan Igbanibo has urged
stakeholders to disregard the pur ported protest by a group of sponsored thugs
against the trust.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt,
Prince Igbanibo said that those purportedly behind the ill-fated protest were
not indigenes of Bakana but hired thugs which was why, according to him,  the protest allegedly took place at the
Abonnema Wharf, Port Harcourt, instead of Bakana, were they would be easily
unmasked.

He said that since 2008, the community Trust (CT) under his
leadership has embarked on several developmental projects, some of which
include the award of both undergradnate and secondary school scholarships to 40
and 60 indigenes of the community respectively, institution of a micro credit
scheme for Bakana indigenes as well as skill acquisition programmes for
deserving Bakana youth and women.

The CT chairman said that more than 100 persons benefited
from the micro credit scheme, while starter
parks were given to 40 beneficiaries of the skills acquisition training.

He explained that the committee was still expecting funds
from SPDC, which when received, will be used to empower the next set of 12
trainees who had just passed out of the sill acquisition programme.

Other projects include, erection of street lights in Bakan,
construction of interlocking road in the community, while work on two modern
twin one-bedroom flats to serve as teachers’ quarters is on-going at the
Obo-Ama Boys High School, Bakana, amongst others.

Prince Igbanibo who urged the people to disregard the rumour
of funds misapplication, making the rounds assured that his leadership was
available to reasonable enquires cannot be bothered by questionable protests
purportedly sponsored by enemies of the Bakana people.