Afam Power Host Communities Accuse Federal Govt, Rivers Of Neglect

Communities in Oyigbo local government area of Rivers state, hosts to Afam Power Station, have accused the Federal and the Rivers State governments of neglecting the area.

The communities, who are mostly oil and gas producing communities are also hosts to other government multi-billion national infrastructures.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP at Afam yesterday, a former vice chairman of Oyigbo local government area, Hon. Innocent Ajaelu, said it was regrettable that both the federal and state governments were not doing anything to address that state of bad road in communities in the area.

Ajaelu said: “I want to talk because I am an Oyigbo person. I want to talk because over 60 per cent of the revenue that accrues to the federation account from Rivers state comes from Oyigbo local government area. I want to talk because we are being seen as minority and we are being treated in that form. I want to talk because Oyigbo as it stands today are being neglected.

“On that reason, I am calling on the federal government of Nigeria to know that Oyigbo as a local government is hosting one it’s biggest revenue generating facilities. It is high time the federal government lived up to its responsibility to the people of Oyigbo.

“We are not asking for much; what is there to construct roads for Oyigbo people?  The road project awarded by the Rivers state government has Bern going on a snail-speed for the past seven months. We know that going by the slow nature of work on the road, it will not be completed in the next nine months.

“Our people are suffering the more. You cannot access the communities. Once you get to Obeama, you will find it difficult to get into Mmiri-Nwanyi, which used to be walking distance. Now, it takes you over one hour to move from one community to the other.

“People are falling into mud water on daily basis due to bad state of roads in this area. In fact, the suffering is too much.  Now when you get to Obunku, from Umuoshi, you cannot access Obeakpu. Between Obeakpu and Umuoshi is a stone throw, but the state of the road is appalling.

“On daily basis, over 200 trailers loaded with chippings ply the Umuoshi -Obeakpu road and these vehicles are causing more havoc on the road.

“The abandonment of Oyigbo local government area is appalling; it does not show that we are part of Rivers State. We are not only part of Rivers State, we are a revenue -generating local government area.”

He called on multinational oil companies operating in the area, especially those operating between Okoroma and Obete communities to come to the aid of the communities.

The former vice chairman said: “We are calling on all the multinationals that operating in Oyigbo, especially from Okoroma to Obete, not to take our quietness to be weakness.

“They should not take our peaceful disposition to mean that we are ignorant of what to do to get attention. Let them come and assist us.”