2 November 2011, Sweetcrude, Port Hacourt – Youths from Egbemo-Angalabiri and Agbediama communities in Bayelsa State, Tuesday, protested on the premises of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, over what they termed failure of the commission to address challenges of underdevelopment in their communities.
The no fewer than 50 youths, carried placards with inscriptions, such as NDDC give us roads, Our schools are dilapidated, No good water to drink in our communities, among others. According to them, NDDC had not executed any project in their communities since it was established.
One of the protesting youths said: “It will surprise you to know that since the creation of NDDC, an interventionist agency created to mitigate the negative effects of oil production in the Niger Delta region, it has not considered our communities fit for any developmental projects.
“We are also aggrieved that despite being host communities to Opukushi and Opukushi North flow stations (Shell), Cambo Oil Field (Shell), Tunu Flow Station (Shell) and Clough Creek (Agip), which produce thousands of crude oil barrels per day, we do not benefit in terms of developmental projects accruing to other oil producing communities in the country.”
Chief Security Officer of the communities, Pius Wareyai, who spoke to newsmen, said NDDC should rehabilitate dilapidated public schools in the area, build access roads and bridge to connect the communities with other areas.
He said: “We need seven transformers in Egbemo-Angalabiri and five in Agbediama community. We need five 750 KVA generators in Egbemo-Angalabiri and two in Agbediama. We need immediate treatment of water hyacinth in all the rivers around our communities.”
