Paramount ruler of Otuokpoti Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, King Rescue Orisa Abi, has said that under his leadership of the community, since the deposition of the former paramount ruler, HRH A.C.T Wongo, that the community has recorded a significant level of development.
In January 2022, due to allegations bothering on the kidnap of the Bayelsa State Commissioner for industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Federal Otokito, a native of the community in his home town by some alleged illegal oil bunkering operators, the former paramount ruler of the community, A.C.T Wongo was deposed by the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, and subsequently appointed Chief Rescue Orisa Abi in acting capacity.
The monarch, while restating his continuous quest to make the community better, noted that during the past four months in which he has been acting as paramount ruler, his Council of Chiefs and the entire community leadership have been more determined to fast track development in the area.
While also commending the State Governor for his intervention in the construction and extension of the community’s internal roads and the parameter fencing of its secondary school, the royal father pleaded with the government to also put into consideration a new shore protection contract of the now fading old shore protection works of the community in order to avert the looming erosion problems in the area.
He enumerated some of the projects executed upon his ascension to the coveted Otuokpoti throne to include the recent self-help works embarked upon by the community on damaged spots of the community’s old erosion control project executed by the late Chief Melford Okilo’s administration in the old Rivers State, as well as the major repair works on damaged drainage in the community.
Abi also stated that in a bid to leave no stone unturned in the developmental efforts of the community under his stewardship, the community recently inaugurated committees on education, health and environment.
He re-emphasized that while the education committee would liaise with the Government and relevant institutions to improve education in the community, the health and environment committee was expected to ensuring that the community’s environment is clean and safe.
According to him, the security committee would in collaboration with the Government’s security formations continue to ensure that lives and properties were secured in the community.
“In the past four months that I’ve been Acting Paramount Ruler of this Communitiy, we’ve done a shore embarkment work to control erosion in the community.
”We’ve also reconstructed some damaged drainages and have been carrying out periodic routine inspection on old projects in the community to ascertain their state.
“We want to thank Governor Diri for approving the construction of some internal roads in the community, and the fencing of our only secondary school.
“But we also want to call on the Government to do something about the resurging erosion crisis which has started eating up parts of the damaged old shore protection work executed by the late Chief Melford Okilo’s administration in the old Rivers State for the community.
“Again, because we don’t want to be left behind in development, as a Community under my stewardship, we’ve also set up three major committees: Health and Environment; Security; and Education”, he said.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa