Piqued by utter neglect and abandonment meted to oil producing communities of Imo state by Federal and State agencies, youths of the area have threatened showdown against agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The youths drawn from Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs, yesterday embarked on peaceful demonstrations to protest alleged maltreatment handled over to them by the interventionist’s agency.
Armed with placards and chanting offensive war and solidarity songs, the youths who stormed NDDC office, Owerri, from various locations blocked the entrance gate of the Owerri office and disrupted all official activities of NDDC. The workers were not only locked inside but visitors and the State Commissioner representing the state in the NDDC Board, Barr Peter Ezeobi were barred from gaining access into the office complex located on Owerri-PortHarcourt road.
Except for scores of anti-riot policemen who converged at the place to maintain security of lives and property hell would have been let loose as the angered youths threatened fire and brimstone against any attempt to cage them against the protest.
Speaking when the NDDC Commissioner, Barr Peter Ezeobi arrived, the spokesman, Andrew Nwoketubo Voko noted that the people of the area especially the youths have been watching with great dismay the injustices meted to Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta people by the NDDC. He noted that contrary to expectations and provisions of the law establishing the organization, oil producing communities have been at the loosing end as projects made for the area are illegally diverted to other locations in the state where oil does not flow and residents do not undergo hazards associated with it.
Nwoketubo noted that NDDC budgets have been allegedly tampered with and those who do not mean well for oil producing areas of Imo state use their vintage positions at both state and federal levels to hijack the projects of their respective localities. The youth leader further lamented the non consideration of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta youths for the recent NDDC job recruitment and dislike to contractors from the area in awarding NDDC projects.
To showcase their grievances, the youths ordered that there should be no work in NDDC Office that day and next day (today) to enable relevant authorities addresses the issue.
In his reaction, Barr Ezeobi noted that the youths protest would have come earlier before now as he was barely a year old in office and only operating with already-made budgets that he was not privy to.
Similarly, concerned youths of the area have voiced out their displeasure over the recent N500m empowerment programe made available to youths of the area by the Okorocha government.
In a statement made available to Trumpeta, the youths stated that the amount was a Greek gift that does not reflect the wishes and aspiration of the youths.
According to the leader, Comrade Nyerike O. Thomas, “Okorocha is playing politics with the N500m empowerment programme as he merely assembled his ISOPADEC and CGC youths for the exercise without considering the interest of the entire youths. It is not for the entire Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta youths. It is a political exercise made to not only deceive our people but also hoodwink the youths into forgetting our agitations for better funding of ISOPADEC and provision of basic amenities.
“Let him use the money to pay PHCN to provide electric power supply to our people. Let him give our people the N400m FG flood money. And why bring in Archbishop Obinna and Bishop Okorocha when we have credible personalities from our area to manage and distribute it?”
