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Okowa decries oil companies’ neglect of host communities

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has expressed concern over the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by some of the oil companies operating in the state. The governor expressed the displeasure over the development, while receiving a group of youth, under the aegis of the Youths of Ndokwa nation in the state, led by their President-General, Anslem Nzete at the Government House, Asaba, the state capital.

Okowa, who said that he was disappointed in some of the companies for failing to partner the government to develop host communities in spite of the peace in the communities, noted that apart from Energia that signed an MoU with the communities and has been doing a few things that I have seeing, the others hardly keep to their MoU, insisting that this is not fair. He assured the communities that he would mount pressure on the oil firms to look into the Okpai Road and other infrastructural projects in the area, saying “if we have taken the bridge project which is a major aspect, from them they should be able to show signs of partnership to take up some other actions.”

“If they fail to do it, then we will also know what to do to put them under pressure,” the governor said. Meanwhile, the leader of the delegation, Nzete, urged the governor to prevail on the oil companies operating in their area to stop using divide-and-rule tactics to marginalise the host communities. He said that the Okpai community had no road in spite of being host to several oil facilities, including a gas plant, even as Nzete warned that the peaceful disposition of Ndokwa youths should not be taken for cowardice.

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