East-West Road: Ogoni Youths Seek Rehabilitation …As Group Demands Security Of Oil Facilities

The poor condition of the East-West Road, especially Akpajo to Onne axis in Rivers State, has compelled some youth bodies in Ogoniland to send SOS to the Federal Government.
The two bodies under the aegis of National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) and the Rivers State Ethnic Youth Leaders Council say the current state of the road requires urgent attention.
President of NYCOP and President General of Rivers State Ethnic Youth Leaders Council, Barinuazor Emmanuel told newsmen that the current state of the road is condemnable considering the companies and businesses along the East-West Road around Eleme axis.
The youth bodies decried the neglect of the section of Eleme to trailer park axis of the road that has claimed the lives of so many road users especially the Ogoni people plying that route on daily basis.
Investigations by The Tide Metro indicate that many long vehicles and commercial buses have in recent times fallen off the narrow bridge linking Akpajo to other Eleme villages.
Just last weekend, a long vehicle that carried an unlatched container fell on a car and caused heavy traffic along the axis for two days.
It was against this backdrop that some stakeholders are calling on the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and top oil multinationals including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to expedite action by engaging a world class construction company to handle the road rehabilitation.
Recall that two years ago, some youths blocked the road in protest against the poor condition of the road. But the Federal Government assured that it would be done.
However, as a result of failure of government to intervene, the youth bodies are threatening to mobilise to shut down all economic activities around our environment within 14 days, if their demand is not met.
Earlier, Chairman of Eleme Local Government Council had equally made a call to the federal authorities to rehabilitate the road.
Said the youth bodies, “We will never rescind on our position unless urgent measures are taken to address this menace to a major road that contributes to at least 65 percent development of our economy”.
Meanwhile, the President of the Association of Niger Delta Upland Communities, Isah Mohammed Obiri has called for the inclusion of upland communities on the pipeline surveillance contract.
Isah stated in a chat with newsmen that the surveillance contract will ensure peace and guarrantee a sense of belonging to the people.
Isah demanded the release of details of Niger Delta oil surveillance contact within the Trans Niger Oil Pipeline (TNP) and Assa Oguta Trunkline/ Rumuekpe oil pipeline in Rivers State.
He added that the body will no longer fold it is arms while its rights are being denied, “We will no longer keep quiet while our rights and privileges are being taken away, “adding that it will stand for their total right for what belongs to the upland community.
In Rivers State, he argued that many communities such as Rumuekpe produce 700,000 barrel of crude, adding that upland communities deserve a fair deal as far as surveillance contract was concerned.
Also speaking, the Vice President of the association, Henry Dimkpa and the Secretary, Eror Promise stressed the need for upland communities to be carried along in the scheme of thing.
Isah said the scope of the contract should cover those benefitting from it, especially upland communities like Rumuekpe in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He maintained that his association is ready to work with the administration of President Bola Tinubu, and thanked him for appointing someone from the South-South region to serve as the 10th Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
According to him Senator Godswill Akpabio will bring his wealth of experience to address marginalisation of the South-South region.

By: Kevin Nengia