By Ebi Kesiena
Some oil producing communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have staged a protest over the hardship being experienced by the people due to many years of oil exploration activities.
Residents of the Olugbobiri Kingdom and 10 other Communities are expressing anger against the Government and the multinational oil companies operating in their environment, accusing them of 48 years of neglect and gross darkness in their environment.
While speaking to newsmen, a 14-year-old, Divine Tariemi noted that the locals are suffering due to lack of social amenities such as good road network, pipe borne water, good educational system and electricity.
She also expressed displeasure over the lack of equipment in their schools and the diversion of scholarship opportunities meant for indigenous students.
The people in these communities are calling on the Federal and State Government to come to their aid and prevail on the oil companies to carry out their corporate social responsibility to the community.
They equally called on Agip Oil Company to provide all the needed social amenities to the communities for peaceful coexistence.
Youth leader of the community, Comrade Raphael Christopher noted that the community is in urgent need of sand filling many waterlogged areas to cushion the effect of recurrent erosion.
Thus, the youths, leaders and people of these communities have given an ultimatum of 31st December to the government to come out with concrete measures to tackle their needs.
They warned that if the government fails to meet their demands, they would take drastic actions to stop the operations of multinationals in the area and refine the crude by themselves, as they are capable of doing so. “Do not push us to the wall and blame us for it,” they threatened.
