Anambra oil-bearing communities protest neglect, deplorable amenities, seek govt intervention

Ogwuaniocha and Ogwuikpele communities in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, the two prominent oil-bearing communities in the state, have protested the lack of basic amenities in their communities despite the presence of huge oil deposits.

The communities accused the Anambra State Government of neglect, calling for the provision of basic amenities to enable their indigenes live normal lives. They also called on Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO), an oil mining company operating in the area, to fulfil its agreements with the communities.

Some members of the communities who spoke to journalists during a protest march complained particularly about alleged negligence on the part of SEEPCO, saying the company had failed to fulfil some of its obligations, including providing scholarships to indigenes of the area and establishing amenities such as schools, hospitals and access roads.

The traditional ruler of Ogwuikpele Community, Odua Ukwu Ogwuikpele, Anagboso Anselm Bernard Ignatius Okaka, in an interview, decried the poor living conditions in the oil-producing community, calling on the Federal and Anambra State governments to urgently address the infrastructure and environmental challenges confronting his people.
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“When the oil exploration company SEEPCO came into our community, we thought good things had come to stay. We never knew we were going to face the worst of it all. The life we were living before was far better than what we are experiencing today.

“The oil they are drilling has caused deaths among our people. The death toll this month has increased to seven within August. Here, they get the oil, but we have not seen any sign of the 13 per cent derivation meant for us. We are living as if we are inside holes.”

The President-General of the community, Hon. Esumai Patrick Chukwudi, also criticised the operations of SEEPCO, alleging that the company had failed to deliver meaningful development to the community despite years of oil exploration.

In Ogwuaniocha, a neighbouring community to Ogwuikpele, indigenes said they lacked basic amenities associated with modern living. The community’s President-General, Hon. Vitalis Ekwuanua, said oil exploration had affected agriculture, aquatic life and the environment, while the community continued to lack basic infrastructure.

“We have oil in our communities, yet we are suffering the effects of oil exploration. Our aquatic life, agricultural production and environment have all been affected,” he lamented.

The communities called for the reconstitution of the Anambra State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ANSOPADEC), saying their umbrella body, Ogbaru Oil and Gas Technical Committee (OOGTC), was demanding meaningful representation in the commission, including consideration of community indigenes for leadership positions.

The Chairman of the Ogbaru Oil and Gas Technical Committee (OOGTC), Engr. Anthony Egwuatu, disclosed that the two communities were only demanding that SEEPCO fulfil its commitments and that the government provide public services and institutional support.

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