Fresh crisis seems to be brewing in the Niger Delta’s Odidi flow station located in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, as residents, yesterday, threatened to cripple oil exploration activities in the area.
Daily Sun gathered that the indigenes under the auspices of Odidi Federated Community, are protesting alleged gross neglect of the oil producing area by Neconde Energy Company Limited, operators of the Odidi flow station (OML42).
The protesting community indigenes said that they were considering issuing an ultimatum to the oil firm before possibly shutting down the operations of the company.
Prince Preye Okrikpa, the community chairman, who conducted newsmen around the community, lamented that the government has completely neglected Odidi in the scheme of things.
He said that the community cannot boast of any tangible project despite playing host to over one hundred oil wells belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development company (NPDC), Neconde Energy and their subsidiaries.
Some youth leaders in Odidi, who also spoke, blamed the Federal Government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Delta State Government for the development gap in the host community.
They decried the deplorable and pitiable living condition of indigenes of the area despite being one of largest oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.
Pastor Ebibide Akure, one of the leaders of the community, who spoke in anger said: “The area that produces large quantities of oil and gas for the economic enrichment of the country, Nigeria, and Delta State is relegated to the background.
“It is provocative that all that we have to show for producing the oil is neglect and environmental degradation.
“The situation of Odidi is worse than that of Oloibiri in Bayelsa and Ogoni land in Rivers State.
“No single project by NPDC or any of the oil companies operating in this Odidi is visible. Government and oil companies have neglected us overtime.
“We need infrastructural and human capital development, we need scholarships for our students, we cannot continue to suffer like this, gas flaring in this area has ruined lives, businesses and the environment.
“We call on the government, NDDC and oil companies to do something urgent.”