In order to enhance resourcefulness as well as strengthen social development for good living, peace and security, indigenes of Imo State, have called on government to look inward to promote farming, commerce and industry by installing basic amenities particularly electricity and road.
The people who demanded regular electricity and good road for the rural communities of Imo State, said when their needs are met they would be enabled and encouraged to work hard to defeat poverty, hunger and vulnerability which they added contribute to insecurity and crisis.
They frowned that communities who do not have electricity or good road would be challenged or constrained to effectively engage in the production of goods and services for socio- economic advancement, even as they urged government to ensure that their demand is soon attained if they meant well for the society.
The people have also pleaded with government to ensure that communities: urban, suburb or rural who already have electric power are regularly supplied with electricity to encourage them on resourcefulness and fruitfulness.
Speaking to News Echo, these concerned indigenes of Imo State had regretted that Imo State is backward in terms of socio- economic development due to lack of vision and developmental orientation of some of their leaders who they urged to install more energy transformers in all existing villages of the state to boost power supply.
In Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra States, they posited, there have been a gory tale of lack of social amenities particularly electricity and road which they reflected are nothing to write home about. They stated that youths who wallow and wobble in oblivion in search of jobs and other means of livelihood could be productive if adequate measures on provision of electricity, good road, good market environment or structure among others are put in place.
They lamented that many youths who learnt skills such as welding, sewing, barbing, sculpturing, moulding, hairdressing among others could positively engage in these trades if there is constant electricity and favourable environment, just as they would adequately engage in cottage industries: knitting and weaving, petty trading (small-scale business).
Contributing, a technocrat and a community leader, Chief Harry Ihebinike, from Orlu local government area of Imo State, called on government to intensify efforts to ensure holistic rural electrification to encourage industrialisation, economic independence, social comfort, security and peace.
According to Ihebinike, “the electricity situation in Imo State, particularly in Orlu communities, is a nightmare. This trend is however not caused by the present Imo State government. The privatization of NEPA was the root cause of it. Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has failed the South East region.
It is necessary for the South East governments to form a Joint Electricity Company for the purposes of generation and distribution of electricity to all nooks and crannies of the zone. They should come up with a blueprint on how to manage and fund it. Allowing private investors to run such a critical infrastructure in the region cannot give the desired result. The South East governors should ensure that credible experts are appointed to run power company since electricity is key to industrialization”.
John Ogorchukwu, a native of Mgbuishi community, Ohaji and a retired primary school teacher, said “it is appalling that several remote villages (hinterlands) particularly Ohaji, Oguta, Egbema, Oru East, Oru West among others, have no public electricity since origin. And communities who have seen public electricity do not enjoy it because of government’s negligence. The cause of this social malady is mainly the lack of electric transformers, low tension wiring and lack of proper funding which government neglects. I’m of the view that the government in power should do the needful to make us happy.
We pay tax, we produce oil and yet we live in darkness, filth and denial. This is not how a republican state is run. Insecurity can be reduced if necessary empowerment is met. Government should use people’s money to develop the society rather than procuring arsenal power to fight insecurity it created through bad governance”.
In this manner, some communities of Ohaji, Egbema and Oguta (Obitti, Awarra, Ochia, Obile, Assa, Mgbuishi, Ilile and Agwa) have been neglected in terms of infrastructure especially on electricity despite their economic richness. Regrettably, the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), has been a total failure. ISOPADEC, according to the people, was established as a welfarist agency to carter for needs of the oil bearing communities of Imo State, but no tangible project has been recorded especially in Ohaji area.
Hence, the people have appealed to ISOPADEC to come to their help by installing electricity, building of road, school, market structure including empowering the people through meaningful skills.
A community leader in Awara, Comrade Nwokoma Kelechi and ChiKe Omereji, an artisan from Assa, said their people are predominantly persistent farmers and traders who desire social amenities to boost their business and live good, advising authorities to take into cognizance the needs of the people who they maintained produce the wealth of the state who should have been taken care of by the government.
“From time immemorial, many communities in the oil bearing areas have never seen public electricity because of government neglect, lack of vision and direction in spite of our natural resources. ISOPADEC and government of Imo State should stop neglecting us. No community can make any economic progress without constant electricity and solid road. Those who learnt skills as welding, hairdressing, barbing, weaving, knitting, sculpturing, sewing are unable to stand on their feet due to low finance and this challenge breeds unrest”.
Therefore, they called on the Managing Director of ISPADEC, Charles Orie, to give them “electricity, not only road rehabilitation”, advising the commission to “stop politicizing or recycling ISOPADEC projects at our expense. We are not happy of the obvious neglect and under-development of our land”.
For this reason, the lawmaker, who represents Ohaji/Egbema State Constituency in Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Heclus Okoro, had presented a motion urging the House to compel the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and oil producing companies to implement the Memorandum of Understandings as reached and documented for rural electrification in oil bearing communities of Imo State.
In a Press Statement issued by Okoro’s Media Aide, Isinwa Destiny which was given to the media in Owerri, Okoro frowned at bad governance, decrying that the people of Imo State pay for darkness, not light.
In July, 2019, Okoro moved “A Motion on Denial of Accrual Benefits especially on electric power supply by oil exploration and production companies for host and impacted communities of Ohaji/Egbema, particularly NPDC. Whereas the Petroleum Industry Reforms on the petroleum host and impacted communities development trust was enacted by national assembly with the objective to provide direct social and economic benefits from petroleum operations to the affected communities”.
Okoro was emphatic that a “harmonious coexistence between E&P companies on one hand and the host and impacted communities on the other hand should be cordial and solid. We are aware that so many Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) had been reached before these projects (Gas Plant, Base, Oil Wells-Drilling, Oil Truckings) either before or after environmental impact assessment, wherein the provisions of social amenities and public utilities were agreed upon. These supposed projects are accrual benefits for the hosts and impacted communities, (Drinking Water, Electric Power Supply, Good Roads, Employment, Education, Bursary and Scholarship)”.
Okoro observed with dismay how “our sister oil producing communities enjoy these projects, as hosts and impacted communities. For example, AGIP to Okwuzi, Mgbede and Aggah etc. Whereas NPDC, Shell, ADAX, Starling- Global, WalterSmith Petroman, SEPLAT had failed in these regards as the oil bearing communities are still challenged with social amenities”.
He expressed worry before the House of how these accrued projects had eluded the deserving communities and how badly their standard of living has been affected, pointing out that the growth of socio- economic vices had jeopardized the people as he implored the House to urgently constitute an Ad hoc Committee to “review and oversee the overdue benefits/projects accrued to the people of Ohaji/Egbema, review and update the Memorandum of Understandings between the people of Ohaji/Egbema and oil exploration and producing companies. Review and address projects without proper Environmental Impact Assessment within Ohaji/Egbema areas”.
The motion was seconded by Hon. Eddy Obinna, of Aboh Mbaise State Constituency as he posited that the motion deserved urgent attention, while Hon. Uju Onwudiwe of Njaba State Constituency called on Imo State government to urge oil companies in the state to order to do the needful. They advised Imo Assembly to act quickly to enable oil companies meet their social responsibilities to the people for even development and peace.
Supporting the motion, Hon. Chigozie Nwaneri of Oru East State Constituency, told the House to visit Ohaji- Egbema with a view to ascertaining the level of suffering at the areas given to negligence and oil exploration with Hon. Anukam Solomon, of Owerri Municipal Council Constituency condemning the habit of oil companies in Imo State sidelining the host communities by failing to fulfill agreement and thereby subjecting the people to hardship, breeding unrest by denying them electricity, drinking water, employment, good road and other basic amenities.
Hon. Paschal Okolie of Orlu State Constituency, Hon. Arthur Egwim of Ideato North State Constituency, Hon. Duru Iheonukara of Ideato South State Constituency, Hon. Ngozi Obiefule of Isu State Constituency and Hon. Ezerioha Dominic of Oru West State Constituency, added that the motion was geared to reduce poverty and suffering in oil and gas bearing communities of Imo State.
Consenting to the motion, the former Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins told the House that the motion was germane as he promised that the motion would be given consideration for a way forward for the oil region.
The people emphasized that poverty and suffering can be reduced or wiped out entirely from the state if government provides good leadership, provides basic social amenities especially electricity and road, fears God, loves mankind and shuns corruption, greed, bribery, fraudulence, dictatorship, favouritism and hatred, saying with regular and full supply of electric power youths will be positively engaged with vices and insecurity being nipped at the board.
“It is the duty of government to build institutions that can encourage resourcefulness, productivity and economic advancement for even development. Electricity is like an oil that helps the engine function effectively and it should not be ignored. Government should invest hugely on infrastructure to maintain steady electricity in the rural communities of Imo State”, they reiterated.
In order to enhance resourcefulness as well as strengthen social development for good living, peace and security, indigenes of Imo State, have called on government to look inward to promote farming, commerce and industry by installing basic amenities particularly electricity and road.
The people who demanded regular electricity and good road for the rural communities of Imo State, said when their needs are met they would be enabled and encouraged to work hard to defeat poverty, hunger and vulnerability which they added contribute to insecurity and crisis.
They frowned that communities who do not have electricity or good road would be challenged or constrained to effectively engage in the production of goods and services for socio- economic advancement, even as they urged government to ensure that their demand is soon attained if they meant well for the society.
The people have also pleaded with government to ensure that communities: urban, suburb or rural who already have electric power are regularly supplied with electricity to encourage them on resourcefulness and fruitfulness.
Speaking to News Echo, these concerned indigenes of Imo State had regretted that Imo State is backward in terms of socio- economic development due to lack of vision and developmental orientation of some of their leaders who they urged to install more energy transformers in all existing villages of the state to boost power supply.
In Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra States, they posited, there have been a gory tale of lack of social amenities particularly electricity and road which they reflected are nothing to write home about. They stated that youths who wallow and wobble in oblivion in search of jobs and other means of livelihood could be productive if adequate measures on provision of electricity, good road, good market environment or structure among others are put in place.
They lamented that many youths who learnt skills such as welding, sewing, barbing, sculpturing, moulding, hairdressing among others could positively engage in these trades if there is constant electricity and favourable environment, just as they would adequately engage in cottage industries: knitting and weaving, petty trading (small-scale business).
Contributing, a technocrat and a community leader, Chief Harry Ihebinike, from Orlu local government area of Imo State, called on government to intensify efforts to ensure holistic rural electrification to encourage industrialisation, economic independence, social comfort, security and peace.
According to Ihebinike, “the electricity situation in Imo State, particularly in Orlu communities, is a nightmare. This trend is however not caused by the present Imo State government. The privatization of NEPA was the root cause of it. Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has failed the South East region.
It is necessary for the South East governments to form a Joint Electricity Company for the purposes of generation and distribution of electricity to all nooks and crannies of the zone. They should come up with a blueprint on how to manage and fund it.
Allowing private investors to run such a critical infrastructure in the region cannot give the desired result. The South East governors should ensure that credible experts are appointed to run power company since electricity is key to industrialization”.
John Ogorchukwu, a native of Mgbuishi community, Ohaji and a retired primary school teacher, said “it is appalling that several remote villages (hinterlands) particularly Ohaji, Oguta, Egbema, Oru East, Oru West among others, have no public electricity since origin.
And communities who have seen public electricity do not enjoy it because of government’s negligence. The cause of this social malady is mainly the lack of electric transformers, low tension wiring and lack of proper funding which government neglects.
I’m of the view that the government in power should do the needful to make us happy. We pay tax, we produce oil and yet we live in darkness, filth and denial. This is not how a republican state is run. Insecurity can be reduced if necessary empowerment is met. Government should use people’s money to develop the society rather than procuring arsenal power to fight insecurity it created through bad governance”.
In this manner, some communities of Ohaji, Egbema and Oguta (Obitti, Awarra, Ochia, Obile, Assa, Mgbuishi, Ilile and Agwa) have been neglected in terms of infrastructure especially on electricity despite their economic richness. Regrettably, the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), has been a total failure. ISOPADEC, according to the people, was established as a welfarist agency to carter for needs of the oil bearing communities of Imo State, but no tangible project has been recorded especially in Ohaji area.
Hence, the people have appealed to ISOPADEC to come to their help by installing electricity, building of road, school, market structure including empowering the people through meaningful skills.
A community leader in Awara, Comrade Nwokoma Kelechi and ChiKe Omereji, an artisan from Assa, said their people are predominantly persistent farmers and traders who desire social amenities to boost their business and live good, advising authorities to take into cognizance the needs of the people who they maintained produce the wealth of the state who should have been taken care of by the government.
“From time immemorial, many communities in the oil bearing areas have never seen public electricity because of government neglect, lack of vision and direction in spite of our natural resources. ISOPADEC and government of Imo State should stop neglecting us. No community can make any economic progress without constant electricity and solid road. Those who learnt skills as welding, hairdressing, barbing, weaving, knitting, sculpturing, sewing are unable to stand on their feet due to low finance and this challenge breeds unrest”.
Therefore, they called on the Managing Director of ISPADEC, Charles Orie, to give them “electricity, not only road rehabilitation”, advising the commission to “stop politicizing or recycling ISOPADEC projects at our expense. We are not happy of the obvious neglect and under-development of our land”.
For this reason, the lawmaker, who represents Ohaji/Egbema State Constituency in Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Heclus Okoro, had presented a motion urging the House to compel the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and oil producing companies to implement the Memorandum of Understandings as reached and documented for rural electrification in oil bearing communities of Imo State.
In a Press Statement issued by Okoro’s Media Aide, Isinwa Destiny which was given to the media in Owerri, Okoro frowned at bad governance, decrying that the people of Imo State pay for darkness, not light.
In July, 2019, Okoro moved “A Motion on Denial of Accrual Benefits especially on electric power supply by oil exploration and production companies for host and impacted communities of Ohaji/Egbema, particularly NPDC. Whereas the Petroleum Industry Reforms on the petroleum host and impacted communities development trust was enacted by national assembly with the objective to provide direct social and economic benefits from petroleum operations to the affected communities”.
Okoro was emphatic that a “harmonious coexistence between E&P companies on one hand and the host and impacted communities on the other hand should be cordial and solid. We are aware that so many Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) had been reached before these projects (Gas Plant, Base, Oil Wells-Drilling, Oil Truckings) either before or after environmental impact assessment, wherein the provisions of social amenities and public utilities were agreed upon.
These supposed projects are accrual benefits for the hosts and impacted communities, (Drinking Water, Electric Power Supply, Good Roads, Employment, Education, Bursary and Scholarship)”.
Okoro observed with dismay how “our sister oil producing communities enjoy these projects, as hosts and impacted communities. For example, AGIP to Okwuzi, Mgbede and Aggah etc. Whereas NPDC, Shell, ADAX, Starling- Global, WalterSmith Petroman, SEPLAT had failed in these regards as the oil bearing communities are still challenged with social amenities”.
He expressed worry before the House of how these accrued projects had eluded the deserving communities and how badly their standard of living has been affected, pointing out that the growth of socio- economic vices had jeopardized the people as he implored the House to urgently constitute an Ad hoc Committee to “review and oversee the overdue benefits/projects accrued to the people of Ohaji/Egbema, review and update the Memorandum of Understandings between the people of Ohaji/Egbema and oil exploration and producing companies. Review and address projects without proper Environmental Impact Assessment within Ohaji/Egbema areas”.
The motion was seconded by Hon. Eddy Obinna, of Aboh Mbaise State Constituency as he posited that the motion deserved urgent attention, while Hon. Uju Onwudiwe of Njaba State Constituency called on Imo State government to urge oil companies in the state to order to do the needful. They advised Imo Assembly to act quickly to enable oil companies meet their social responsibilities to the people for even development and peace.
Supporting the motion, Hon. Chigozie Nwaneri of Oru East State Constituency, told the House to visit Ohaji- Egbema with a view to ascertaining the level of suffering at the areas given to negligence and oil exploration with Hon. Anukam Solomon, of Owerri Municipal Council Constituency condemning the habit of oil companies in Imo State sidelining the host communities by failing to fulfill agreement and thereby subjecting the people to hardship, breeding unrest by denying them electricity, drinking water, employment, good road and other basic amenities.
Hon. Paschal Okolie of Orlu State Constituency, Hon. Arthur Egwim of Ideato North State Constituency, Hon. Duru Iheonukara of Ideato South State Constituency, Hon. Ngozi Obiefule of Isu State Constituency and Hon. Ezerioha Dominic of Oru West State Constituency, added that the motion was geared to reduce poverty and suffering in oil and gas bearing communities of Imo State.
Consenting to the motion, the former Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins told the House that the motion was germane as he promised that the motion would be given consideration for a way forward for the oil region.
The people emphasized that poverty and suffering can be reduced or wiped out entirely from the state if government provides good leadership, provides basic social amenities especially electricity and road, fears God, loves mankind and shuns corruption, greed, bribery, fraudulence, dictatorship, favouritism and hatred, saying with regular and full supply of electric power youths will be positively engaged with vices and insecurity being nipped at the board.
“It is the duty of government to build institutions that can encourage resourcefulness, productivity and economic advancement for even development. Electricity is like an oil that helps the engine function effectively and it should not be ignored. Government should invest hugely on infrastructure to maintain steady electricity in the rural communities of Imo State”, they reiterated.
