Bayelsa Monarch Scores NDDC High

The people of Otuege 1 Community, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC on the provision of solar powered lightening for their community.
The Acting paramount ruler of the ancient community in Anyama clan of Ogbia Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Young Ido gave the commendation last Saturday during an independent tour of select projects executed by the commission in parts of Bayelsa East Senatorial last district by Newsmen.
The monarch who applauded the interventionist agency for the timely execution and completion of the project noted that it has added economic significance to the community, asserting that with this project, business owners living and doing business in the community which has experienced blackout for decades have now been relieved of the Burden of doing their businesses in darkness at night.
He pleaded with the commission, the Government and other agents of development to remember the plight of neglected communities like his in the award and execution of projects, saying his community has suffered perennial neglect from successive administrations than many other coastal communities of the Niger Delta region, emphasising the need for more impactful projects.
“We thank the NDDC for this solar light, for years now we’ve been in darkness, even when the gas turbine is running we’re often in darkness partly because our transformer and electric lines are badly damaged. So when they came to execute this solar electricity, we were all glad they came. Today anybody doing business into the late hours at night will not have fear again because everywhere is shining bright, it has so much economic benefit,”he said.
“Though we need projects of greater economic impact like linking our community to Yenagoa and other areas with road, but we are grateful to the NDDC for this feat, maybe with time, paved roads and others will come. We thank God,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Royal father has also called on the Bayelsa State Government to equip the community’s health centre, Otuega 1 with drugs and other health facilities, saying even though the community bears both the SPDC and Agip Oil and gas pipelines all is not well with community which he said has an already built but unequipped and nonfunctional health centre.
The paramount ruler maintained that as a result, lost of man-hours on the search for hospitals has often resulted to lose of lives to illnesses which would have been contained by medical staffs posted to the community health centre if it has been functioning.
He noted that if the already built health centre continues to linger nonfunctional, life expectancy in the community may become even shorter than estimated by global indices on access to healthcare.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa