February 24, (THEWILL) – The Paramount Ruler of Ikarama Federated Communities in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, HRM Chief Wariebi Berebozigha, has criticised the government and oil companies for their lack of commitment to infrastructure development despite the presence of major oil firms like SPDC and NAOC, which have operated in the area for decades.
The monarch also disclosed that being a peaceful and peace-loving community without any negative reports of hostility, crisis, violence and troubles, the government has continued to undermine their peaceful disposition.
The monarch, who is barely one year in office stated this while speaking to journalists at his palace at lkarama.
According to him, since he was crowned, he has implemented some self-help projects such as roads, and solar lights, but we hear that NDDC is providing solar lights all over the Niger Delta state and enduring peace, and promised to do more with the cooperation of his subjects.
He disclosed that these aforementioned projects were self-help from the community without external funding.
He said the only tangible project in the state was a health centre that was constructed and equipped by NAOC, but was abandoned without staff and was vandalised and taken over by grasses and reptiles, until the state governor Senator Douye Diri during 5th year anniversary gave directives that it should be a cottage hospital and staff to be deployed there immediately. We are grateful to the governor, senator Douye Diri, Deputy governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo and the commissioner for Health, Prof Seiyaf Brisibe for this singular kind gesture.
He lamented that being an oil-producing community, the people still lived in abject poverty without infrastructure.
“Nigeria Agip Oil company of Nigeria initiated a health centre and after building it was abandoned and was vandalised, until was taken over by the Bayelsa state government on the 10th of February. The roads they constructed were meant to ease their access to their facilities, the same thing as the bridges they constructed. SPDC also provided water boreholes which they powered with diesel and a guest house that has been abandoned. The generator that NAOC provided conditioned us to buy diesel to power it, but my people are peasant farmers who could pay such levy compared to the quantum of oil and gas they produced from here, these projects were not commensurate. SPDC gave us light from the Adibawa flow station, but whenever the put it off, we were thrown into darkness.
He also complained about the dilapidated Community Secondary school, lkarama with buildings poorly constructed and posed a threat to a conducive learning environment. He also appealed to the Bayelsa Ministry of Education to provide perimeter fencing citing that schools in the communities of the commissioner of education, Dr Gentle Emelah and the Honorable member representing Yenagoa constituency 3,Honorable Ted Elemoforo, due to lack of perimeter fencing having security challenges to lives of youth corp members and frequent vandalisation and theft of the school properties.The students don’t have toilet facilities as they go to the forest to answer the call of nature amid snakes attack.
Also, being the most populated community in Okordia clan with a registered population of over 1000, with one pulling unit is appalling and called on the political class to advocate for more pulling units. He also appealed for a community market and was ready to donate land free to the government.
He also commended the Bayelsa Media Network Award for nominating him as the Traditional Ruler of the Year, promising that he would not take this award which he didn’t solicit for granted as it would rather spur him to do more for his subjects.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
