The people of Ogbotobo Federated Community of Egboma clan, an oil-rich community in Bayelsa State, has given the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Douye Diri, an option to design a development plan for the community if he wants their votes in the forthcoming November 11th Governorship Election.
The list of conditions given by the community includes appointment of the sons and daughters into positions of trust, settling rifts between them and SPDC, providing healthcare and social welfare for the sick, needy and elderly, etc.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the coordinator of Niger Delta Frontiers and former State chairman of the defunct United Democratic Party (UDP), Chief Angadia Eminent, also chided Senator Diri, the incumbent governor over what he described as total neglect of Ogbotobo Community in the area appointments of indigenes into the positions of trust.
Chief Eminent, who stated this while interacting with newsmen in Yenagoa said Ogbotobo Federated Community of Egboma clan is an oil-rich community but has been neglected by both oil companies especially the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the government of the day.
He, however, blamed the high level of underdevelopment in Ogbotobo community, on the unwillingness by the government to settle the crisis that rocked the community for over nine years not until he became the Community Development Chairman (CDC), during which he brought peace to the community.
Speaking further, he said that the result of the negligence has affected the people, especially the aged, who should be cared for by the government, thereby leaving them to feign for themselves adding that the ten thousand naira monthly stipends for few selected persons by the prosperity administration for the elderly is not enough to cater for the needs of the elderly.
On the State of the gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State come November 11, Mr. Eminent advised youths of the community against being used by the politicians who will dump them immediately after being sworn into office.
He equally implored politicians to play by the rules of the game as nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of anybody, while calling on the electorate not to sell their conscience or being induced financially in order to make wrong choices.
Speaking further on the activities of the Niger Delta Frontiers, the coordinator said the organisation is out to change the narrative of youth of the Niger Delta region from restiveness to skills acquisition and dialoguing which is not influenced by political gladiators.
This, he said, is ongoing across the nine states of the Niger Delta region with coordinators at the grassroots level, who monitor activities and report the same to the central office.
Decrying the state of underdevelopment in Ogbotobo community, the activist blamed the government for not being able to settle the crisis that rocked the community for over nine years, not until he became the Community Development Chairman (CDC) that he brought peace to the community.
He described the acclaimed feat in educational and health sectors by the Prosperity government as lip service as pupils and students in both primary and secondary schools are sitting on the floors and under shady trees to learn with inadequate staff strength.
“No government presence is felt in Ogbotobo Federated Community. Imagine a situation where the students of Schools one and two are sitting on bare floors to receive lessons and the prosperous government is talking about advancing education in the state. Is it not an irony?”.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune except headline
