Imo youths threaten to shut down pipelines

BY: Ikenna Oluka

Angry youths from Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo have threatened to shut down all pipelines in their communities if Federal Government failed to restore electric power that has been denied them for over 20 years.

The youths, who also threatened to take over the abandoned Neighbourhood Improvement Programme (NIP) projects, demanded proper funding of agro productions in the community as a way of creating jobs for its youths.

Leader of the youths and Chairman of Elites of Ohaji/Egbema, Francis Uzor told newsmen in Owerri, yesterday, that the community has been consigned to abject poverty in the midst of oil wealth.

“You cannot believe that nothing is working in my community; no school, no hospital, no good roads. In fact, my people are living in poverty.

“My people are feeding on gari and water and at the back of our house, we have oil. Is that not enough to make them restive? But, we are not; there shall come a time when we will take laws into our hands.

“The Federal Government has a lot to repair in Ohaji/Egbema, but, they are not doing it.”

On some of the NIP projects embarked upon by the Federal Government in their communities, he said his people were disappointed at the present administration, which he said has reneged in its promise to complete the turbine gas plant at Egbema, despite the inspection of the project by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in 2017.

“This turbine gas plant should have provided greater number of employment for our youths, but it has been abandoned, that is why we are calling on the federal government to quickly come to our aide.

“We are only being restrained by our rivalled traditional rulers, who we expect to hold talks with the federal government in Abuja on our behalf, but, they have only two months to do that,” Uzor said.

He described the amnesty granted by the Federal Government as a huge failure.

Although he admitted the Federal Government might be prompt in releasing the 13 per cent oil derivation funds as accrued to his state, he regretted that Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration has starved Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), which is supposed to utilise the funds in their community.

Source: The Sun