The people of Eseimogbene community in Burutu local government area, LGA, of Delta State have expressed their disappointment in international oil companies over the alleged failure of the IOCs to live up to their social responsibilities.
It was gathered that some aggrieved youths of the community allegedly attacked officials of Nigeria Agip Oil Company to prevent them from carrying out their duties, a situation that led to some of the youths getting injured by security, agents who tried to disperse them with tear gas.
But a leader in the community, Mr. Cleric Alaowei, who spoke to DAILY POST disclosed that since the establishment of Eseimogbene community in 1976, the people have got no attention from any of the oil companies, adding that the IOCs have over the years been taking from the community without investing in the area.
He said: “the people of Ezeimogbene community have benefited nothing from all the oil companies. The people contributed money to build structures such as school, college hospital. Despite the presence of multinational oil company, we are suffering, and we will not allow this to continue at all.”
It was gathered that the only primary school in the community, Beinomo Primary School Eseimogbene, has neither classrooms nor teachers’ quarters to accommodate staff and pupils of the school. The people of the community drink from the water they defecate on, even as the community is seasonally submerged by flood from July to November, each year, and at times sweep away crops in their farms.
Speaking further, Alaowei said: “We are ready to chase out the oil companies if their managements are not ready to do anything for us. The only school Nigerian Agip Oil Company build in 2002 is completely destroyed now, so where are we? no healthcare, my people have to paddle a sick persons or women in Iabour from the community to far away, Bomadi town for help.”
He decried the ugly situation of the community, saying that the condition has caused many deaths due to the lack of healthcare centre, adding that the impact, and exploitative activities of oil companies have completely destroyed the biodiversity, as well as rendered the people to live in squalor and abject poverty.
But an official of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, who did not want his name in print, told DAILY POST: “We are scared of the host community’s hostility. We are ready to do something. Our fears are many hence there has been nothing done in the community. Their youths are hostile”.
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