A/Ibom govt. disagrees with oil producing communities over commission
(Nigeria) Akwa Ibom government says the oil producing communities in
the state have more representations in the administration, than their non-oil
producing counterparts, contrary to their cry of marginalisation.
Mr Anietie Ukpe, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor
Godswill Akpabio, made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency
of Nigeria in Uyo.
Ukpe spoke against the backdrop of agitation by the
communities for the establishment of a development commission for oil bearing
area of Akwa Ibom State.
``People from the oil producing area occupy priority
positions in this administration. They have more opportunities than others.
``I know that His Excellency has reached out to them; they
have been a part of this administration more than they had been under past
administrations,” Ukpe said.
The governor’s spokesman said that the agitation for the
establishment of oil producing areas development commission in the state was
not justified.
The South-South Coordinator, Institute of Chartered
Economists of Nigeria, ICEN, Mr Friday Udoh, had argued that there was urgent
need for the establishment of such a commission in the state.
Udoh said that because of the environmental degradation
in oil producing communities, a development commission was needed to rejuvenate
the affected areas.
``It will take more than 20 years to restore the vegetation
of the oil bearing communities. It requires a commission for a long-term
planning.
``Today, oil producing communities cannot do farming and
fishing effectively because of oil pollution,” Udoh said.
He said that the people should be adequately compensated
through the setting up of a development commission as was done in other states
of the Niger Delta region.
Udoh said that such commissions had been established in
Ondo, Edo, Delta and Imo, among others.
Mr Isaia Abia, former President of Afigh Iwaad Ekid, a
socio-cultural organisation of Exxon-Mobil host communities, said that the
communities were yearning for the setting up of the commission.
Abia said that the oil producing communities had been
agitating for the commission since the country returned to democracy in 1999.
``We have always been ignored, that is why we need to
produce the next governor to help address our plights,” Abia said.
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