Oil-producing Communities Task Delta Governor On Neglect

Isoko oil-producing communities in Delta State have cried out to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori over their neglect, saying they deserve better treatment from him.

They said Governor Oborevwori received massive votes last year from Isoko South and North, which helped him emerge as the state governor.

The communities added that a significant part of the oil and gas that makes Delta State receive one of the highest allocations from the Federation Account comes from the Isoko Nation.

However, as the governor marks his one year in office, the communities said they were yet to feel the impact of Oborevwori’s administration.

The communities are Olomoro, Irri, Idheze, Ellu, Oleh, Uzere, Ovrode, Igbide, among others.

In a statement, they called on Oborevwori to take immediate action to give them a sense of belonging in his administration.

They said, “We trusted and voted overwhelmingly for our amiable governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, because of this MORE Agenda and his track record when he was Speaker of the Delta State House Assembly.

“But one year after, what we see is making us very uncomfortable. The governor has focused on the state capital, Asaba, and other cities, neglecting the rural areas and their people.

“The governor has started many projects in Asaba, Warri, Ughelli and others but nothing to show in communities that produce this oil and gas. Apart from city road projects, the governor recently commissioned the Delta High Court Complex and gifted SUVs cars to all the judges.

Also, the four National Assembly legislators were gifted SUVs.

“However, for the past six months, nothing has come to communities for the development and empowerment of their people. Despite receiving huge allocations from the federation account, these communities are starved and neglected. Therefore, We are bringing it to the governor’s attention to  act now to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the oil-producing communities in particular and all Deltans in general,” the statement said.

The communities explained that further delay in attending to their needs could lead to people resorting to self-help, which may have negative consequences for the state and nation at large.

“It is unbelievable that a state that received over N38 billion as allocation in February, for instance, has failed to take care of the goose that laid the golden egg. The communities have been very peaceful, protecting the oil facilities. Still, it is excruciating that the money is used to develop other parts, and the communities from the oil and gas come, and their people are neglected and starved.

“Our amiable governor should please act now. Our communities need infrastructure, and our youths need empowerment through skill acquisition and others. We need money to do all this. The governor should kindly do something fast. He should not wait until the communities begin to take the streets for protest or stop oil producing companies from operating in their domains before he acts,” the statement added.