Oil Producing Community Odidi Set To Storm NDDC, Abuja With Massive Protest

 Oil Producing Community Odidi Set To Storm NDDC, Abuja With Massive Protest

Ijaw youths from the Oil rich Odidi community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State have vowed to storm the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Port Harcourt, Rivers State with massive protest over the failure of the commission and the Federal Government to develop the community and the area.

In a statement by the community Chairman, Prince Preye Okrikpa in Warri on Sunday, disclosed that Odidi youths under the aegis of Odidi Federated Communities are fully prepared to storm the NDDC with protest, and remain there till the aged long developmental neglect is addressed.

During a meeting with his community executives, he said, "The planned protest is an action against NDDC and the federal government for neglecting the community that feeds the nation for many decades without any form of development or project from the NDDC and Federal Government".

Odidi community, OML 42,  is a major oil-producing community playing host to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company NPDC, Neconde among other companies, despite their huge contribution to the economic survival of Nigeria, the community have nothing to show as an oil-producing community.

The statement adds that  Odidi community is in a pitiable state of developmental neglect despite being host to numerous oil companies of which the Federal government is benefiting largely from.

"Our people are callously neglected to suffer from the disastrous environmental and ecological damages that have put an end to all their means of livelihood".

He further revealed that oil exploration in their domain has not benefited the people in terms of developments and inclusion in government appointments and empowerments.

He further noted that the planned peaceful protests are aimed at calling on the NDDC and the federal government to cite projects in the community.

He also added that the protests will be taken to Abuja do draw the attention of the presidency towards the plight of the people and for the government to act positively to festal another tension in the region.

The chairman expressed his disappointment that the NDDC and the government has never on any occasions include Odidi community in any social welfare programme such as skill acquisition program, scholarship despite repeated calls.

We are pained that there no alternative source of the lovely hood as the oil exploration has made us venerable to deceases hunger and death".

"No amount of projects could adequately compensate for the unquantifiable damage of our environment, source of livelihood and the People's wellbeing". 

"However, the people could be encouraged to be self-reliant if there are government attention and presence".

He earned that  Contentious neglect by the government and its agent NDDC is a clear invitation to trouble.