Alleged Marginalization Of Oil Communities: Eziorsu People Of Oguta LGA Takes Peaceful Demonstration To Gov.Ihedioha
Dan Opara
The entire people of Eziorsu Autonomous Community in Oguta LGA of Imo State,mainly youths,women from Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema,was on Friday,June 21st 2019,staged and barricaded the major entrance to the Imo State Govt.House Owerri,over what they described as a peaceful protest/demonstration as part of displaying their grievances.
The people numbering over 150 persons armed with various placards and banner inscriptions of their lamentations over
marginalization according to them have being meted on them for the past eight years.
The people of the Oil Producing Communities in Imo State who gathered in front of the Govt.House said they left their various homes to Owerri under the auspices of “Oguta,Ohaji-Egbema Socio- Economic Development Initiative”.
They barricaded the main entrance of the Imo Douglas House with all forms of banners inscriptions which includes:”No Schools,Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission,ISOPADEC, Adapalm belongs to us, we want to control our desstiny and our resources, we want to choose our representatives, in NDDC, ISOPADEC & ADAPALM, and our air has been badly polluted, we want our 13% derivation,amongst others placards.
A very prominent respected indigene of Eziorsu Community in Oguta LGA,Mazi Ozor Harry Aninwe,aka X-zibit,speaking on behalf of his people an interview with newsmen during the protest,expressed frowned at the height of abandonment of his immediate community in Oguta by the past of Imo State in the past and called on the present govt.of the state,ably led by Gov.Emeka Ihedioha,to rebuild his people in his bid to rebuilding the state.
Mazi Aninwe,further berated the marginalization of his community which according to him,has more than 20 Oil Wells.
He said “we are the most largest and richest oil producing community in Oguta but nothing to show about us. Our children who are students are now out of schools,we have no good roads, we have no electricity,we have no hospitals and we have not portable water supply”.
Ozor,therefore decried lack of govt.presence in their community even as he boasted that land produces quality of oil and gas in the entire state of Imo.
Mazi Aninwe,however appealed Gov.Ihedioha and his Deputy,Rt.Hon.Engr.Gerald Irona,to come and show the mercy by ensuring that all the dividends of their resources that have eludes them in the past is restored,most especially in the area of proper welfare of the Eziorsu people and the entire Oil Producing Communities in the State.
Also,one of the woman protesters,Hon.StellaMaris Ifejirika,expressively pleaded to Gov.Ihedioha and Deputy Gov.Gerald Irona,to use their powers in government to come to their plight as oil-producing areas of the state.
Making their general requests known,the protesters demanded the immediate restoration of power supply (light),provision of good network of roads in the area,provision of good health care system,renovation and euquipment of all General Hospitals,health facilities with doctors and complementary staff, adequate funding of the ISOPADEC to enable it meet its statutory obligations to the people, construction of bridge across the Oguta Lake, employment and appointment of indigenes from the area in the key government ministries, parastatals,boards,agencies and pay attention to the development of oil producing communities.
The people moreso demanded the urgent construction of bridge across Oguta lake by the govt.of the day,even as the described Gov.Ihedioha’s govt.as all inclusive.
Meanwhile,our reporter also witnessed that the protesters where not officially addressed by any one from Govt.House,as at the press time.
It is going to be on record that Eziorsu people where the first to stage maiden protest or peaceful demonstration to the Govt.House,since the inception of the Rebuilding Mission Govt.of Gov.Ihedioha in 2019.
