Media urges Imo govt. to develop oil communities

Two media groups, the Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta Local Government Media Associations have called on the Imo State Government to work towards the development of oil producing communities of the state.

The media practitioners from the two areas made the comments when they visited the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Mr. Kingsley Uju, on Thursday in Owerri.

The chairman of the association, Mr. Emeka Ike, who led the group, said that in spite the receipt of 13 per cent oil derivation, most of affected communities in the two councils lacked basic infrastructure and other amenities.

“Our investigations show that a lot of communities in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta areas are currently in total darkness, due to non-payment of electricity bill by the Imo State Oil Producing Area Commission (ISOPADEC).

“We are equally concerned that ISOPADEC and government are not doing much to uplift the people of our communities, especially in the area of infrastructure provision and empowerment”, Ike said.

Responding, Uju, thanked the group for their love for the oil bearing areas of the state, saying that “the Imo government is doing a lot for Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta people”.