By Ikenna Orioha
The people of Obitti autonomous community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, have decried continued sheer social neglect by government and oil exploring companies operating at their area.
They regretted that from time immemorial, the community, which housed Imo Rubber Estate for over 80 years, have not seen nor used social amenities such as electricity, solid road network, pipe born water, functional and affordable hospital, including secondary school.
The people who spoke to our reporter on Thursday through one of their youth leaders, Mazi Amadi Ifeanyi, said that Obitti community contributes hugely to the revenue generation of Imo State, frowning that their resources are rather used to develop other communities that contribute nothing to the economy of the state, whereas they wobble in darkness, abject penury and social abandonment.
Amadi, who described the people of Obitti as peace loving, resourceful, friendly, accommodating and sociable, called on government and oil exploring companies operating at their area to urgently intervene by doing the needful to avert restiveness by host community who he said are running out of patience over their shortchanging and obvious social and economic marginalization.
According to the community leader, “Obitti autonomous community as part of Imo State has from inception suffered social and educational neglect from government and on the other hand since petroleum resources was discovered in Obitti Multi National Oil Companies had also toed the path of the government by not doing the needful in line with Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)/Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) reached with the community. They have also undermined Oil Act”.
He added that “presently, there is no government presence in Obitti. For instance, there is no public secondary school, hospital, electricity, good road. Basic social amenities are totally lacking there. Due to the activities of these oil companies, there are health implications on residents of the area”.
“there are countless number of trucks or tankers conveying petroleum products that have been sold to independent marketers. Besides, there is a Modula Refinery built by Waltersmith Petroleum located at the boundary of Awarra and Obitti and yet the road that leads to the Modula Refinery is deplorable, posing danger to users and residents”.
“Residents of the community are the ones suffering the outcome of the oil activities there because the Modula Refinery is closer to Obitti and Waltersmith Petroleum and others are using Obitti Road for all their activities”
He also said that both the government and the oil companies should as a matter of urgency declare state of emergency on infrastructure/social amenities in Obitti community.
