An opinion leader in Ogoniland and the leader of Conscience for Ogoni People, Chief Gani Tober, has said that insecurity in the area has greatly hindered development and employment opportunities in Ogoniland.
He noted that insecurity in the area has given room for many destruction of infrastructures that would have facilitated investment and created employment in the area, adding that investors were scared of investing in any environment prone to violence.
Tober who disclosed this while speaking in an interaction with journalists at the weekend in Port Harcourt, said that activities of cultists in Ogoni caused an upsurge in insecurity.
According to him, some infrastructures like transformer and other electrical installations that would have boosted electricity in the area were vandalised, looted and sold by cultists, especially in the Bori area.
“There was an investor that met me and told me how he wanted to set up a factory for production of toothpick in the area, but was discouraged by lack of power and the security situation in the area.
“In my own place, Zakpor, where I come from, I have tried my best with the help of other good spirited individuals to tackle the menace, and we have observed that some political office holders in my area are sponsoring this cultism, and that is very unfortunate”, he said
The Ogoni leader, however, commended the efforts of Governor Nyesom Wike on the setting up of ‘Operation Sting’ which, he said, has recorded remarkable success in the area.
Tober called on the state government to evolve a policy that will make all political office holders to be held accountable for the insecurity that erupts in their domain.
He said through such policy, political office holders who sponsor crime and criminality would be checked, while crime would be drastically reduced in the area.

By:  Corlins Walter