From Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba
Ukwa oil producing communities in Abia State have cried out over what they described as poor relationships resulting to high-handedness by oil companies operating in their land.
They have, therefore, called for a change of attitude to forestall whatever drastic action the people might take to seek redress on the glaring situations on ground.
Chairman of Ukwa West Council Area, Newman Azuh, who spoke at Okeikpe, headquarters of the council, emphasised the need for oil companies operating in the area, to turn a new leaf and participate as a reasonable partner instead of their current posture of short-changing the people: “Oil producing communities in our area are not getting their due from companies operating in our land as is the case in other societies. Here, they are getting less than nothing and we want to highlight this for them to change before things go out of hand.”
He lamented that the people have for long been the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg but does not benefit from its resources, a practice he said, must stop.
Azuh appealed for support to the administration of Gov. Alex Otti to enable it return Ukwa land to its lost glory.
He also listed projects successfully rehabilitated or reconstructed so far by his administration including the rebuilding of the Ukwa High Court, destroyed during a protest, rehabilitation and upgrade of Obehie Divisional Police administrative building, the Customary Court and structures at the council headquarters.