Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state Tuesday cancelled all the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, entered into by the leaders of the oil producing communities in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta Local Government Areas with the oil companies operating in the areas.
Okorocha who gave following complaints by the people of the affected communities when he met with the stakeholders from the two oil producing Local Governments of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta alleging that their leaders have been short-changing them with such Memorandum of Understanding by collaborating with the oil companies.
The governor saïd that he took the action to avert further troubles in the affected communities, saying that all existing MOUs between the oil companies and the leaders of the communities and directed that such MOUs would now be signed between the communities and oil companies with the full involvement of the state government so that the people at the grassroot would not be schemed out of such exercises.
He regretted that the oil companies had leveraged on the dubious activities of some leaders in the affected communities to deny the communities what should be due for them for the development of the areas.
Okorocha said that the oil companies have continued to adopt divide and rule tactics in the communities to achieve their selfish aims adding that the state government would no longer fold its hands and watch the oil companies cheat the oil producing communities.
