Angry youths under the auspices of Egbema Elites have threatened to shut down oil facilities if the Federal Government fails to complete an abandoned Gas plant in Ohaji-Egbema Council Area.
They lamented the project, which was awarded in 2001, has been abandoned for 13 years without any feasible reason.
They accused the federal and state governments, as well as the oil companies operating in the area of deliberately marginalising the oil0 producing communities.
Leader of the group, Francis Uzor, said that the community had been in total blackout for over 30 years.
He alleged the Ministry of Power had treated the people of Egbema community with disdain, adding that the management of the abandoned gas plant refused them access into the facility.
According to him: “We are here to inquire why the Egbema gas plant which, was awarded in 2001 has been abandoned since 13 years now.
“Egbema people are very peaceful people we are not as restive and violent as people think we are. We are here to know if there is any way we can help out. Since I was born we have not had electricity yet we have the highest deposit of gas in the whole of Africa.”
Also speaking, Ademachukwu Chimaraoke, called on the anti-graft agencies to probe the N18b awarded by the FG to ensure that the project was completed.
Chimaraoke said if the federal government failed to ensure that the abandoned project was revived in a two week,the group would March to Abuja for a protest.
He stated that not even the promises made by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo when he visited the state in 2017 the abandoned gas plant would be revived in two weeks had yielded any fruit.
The woman leader, Mrs. Elizabeth Opara, said if the federal government fails to revive the abandoned gas plant within two weeks, the women of the community would protest naked in Abuja.
She asked the federal government to start engaging their youths for meaningful endeavours and not for electoral violence.
THE NATION
