LAGOS JULY 1ST (URHOBOTODAY)-One would have expected that communities where oil producing conglomerates like the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) are located should benefit more in term of social amenities like good roads, health facilities, schools, housing and other good benefits but it is unfortunate that the reverse is the case.
To the residence of Jeddo, Ugbokodo,Ughoton, Omadino, Ubeji, Ifie and Egbokoda communities in Okpe local government area of Delta Sate, a stone throw from Warri main town, the location of these companies which is a source of wealth to the Federal government have become a thing of worries, discomfort and nuisance to them instead of joy.
It is saddening that residents of this vicinity are suffering from lack of good roads, good health facilities, good schools and affordable housing among others, not to mention the pollution they suffered from these companies by-products daily. One would have expected the companies to provide corporate social responsibilities to their host communities.
The road to the WRPC and the NGC, which also serves as the only link road to Jeddo, Ugbokodo, Ughoton, Omadino, Ubeji, Ifie and Egbokodo towns is in a deplorable condition. Year in, year out and every day plying these roads is a nightmare to residents. URHOBOTODAY gathered that accidents occurred on regular basis on these ever busy roads.
It is worthy to note that these towns are contributing immensely to the economy and development of the nation but they seems to gain nothing from the government hence evidence on ground revealed that they scarcely felt government presence.
When URHOBOTODAY, an online medium visited the area water tanks spread where seen littering in every nooks and crannies. This is a sign that the residents did not have a source of supply of hygienic water except from water vendors.
The government secondary school located in Jeddo and the road leading to it is nothing to write home about. Abandoned street light project is staring at the faces of resident of the community. The Delta Development and Property Agency (DDPA) housing estate is a shadow of itself as the houses are dilapidated and collapsing one after the other for lack of mainatainance. The primary health care centre is in an ugly state, while the market is very filthy and could be compared to a place where people go to buy germs to feed on. The youths are unemployed and not empowered, while the national epileptic electricity problem is at it worst.
Speaking to URHOBOTODAY, a residence of Jeddo, one of the affected communities, Mr. Oyibo Ediri disclosed that one of their major problems is access road to their communities.
Edirin who lamented that they have suffered for long and praying for a messiah to save them said their heart start bleeping once it is raining reason.
According to him, “Once it is raining season our hearts start bleeping. It is almost impossible to go out or come into our community on daily basis. Traffic congestion affects everyone in our community and its environs, whether travelling by car, bus, bicycle, motorcycle or tricycle (keke). This is as a result of trailers and tankers that have come to lift oil products from the oil companies.
The poor states of our roads have lead to the death of numerous persons. It is not good enough to mention several illness that are afflicting our people as a result of poor condition of our road, pollution from the oil companies, lack of hygienic drinking water and the lack of attention and apathy government has shown to our communities.”
Ediri complained that the past Delta State government had dislike for not improving their road network despite the importance of the location of the oil communities in their territory, adding that the government did not put plan in place to fix the bad roads except for the much talked about dualization of the road when the former Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan delivered in his speech during the foundation laying ceremony of Eagle Heights University, Omadino.
He appealed to Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to look into their plight by hastening up to see that the bad roads were fixed and other bad social amenities are put in the right perspective.
“With thousand voices, we are asking the state government to see to the lifting of the deplorable state of our roads and our community. The government of our amiable Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa should look into these issues and hasten up to see that our roads are fix.
“We are confident that this administration has the people of Jeddo and other communities within the area at heart. The confidence we have in this administration lay in the nomination of our own Chief (Hon.) James Augoye for commissioner.
“We the people of Jeddo and environs are law abiding citizens. We carry out our civic responsibilities at all times. We vote en masse during elections and we voted in the same vein during the last general elections. We should benefit from the government as well,” Ediri affirmed, just as he called on the Federal Government and other well meaning citizen of Nigeria to come to their aid.