By
Ike Wigodo
Patriotic Youths of Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State has vowed to continue to agitates for the rights of the Youths despite harassment and intimidation over their stand in ensuring accountability and transparency.
President, Wisdom Chimakpa Igwe who stated this today said the Patriotic Youth of Ubima are agitating against the under development and high rate of unemployment in the community despite the numerous companies operating in the Area.
The Youth President demanded that the Community leadership and the elders make details of the implementation of the Memorandum Of Understanding , MOU;signed with the various companies in the community .
According to him," Starvation of youths and denial of their rights in conspiracy with some security agencies was considered torture and intimation but would not relent in her struggle to liberates the community.
He called on the various levels of government to urgently call the leadership of Ubima Community Development Committee ,CDC; and some elders to order to avoid further crisis in the community.
Igwe lamented that majority of the youths have been passing through difficult times in the community because of what he described as bad and corrupt leadership.
"The Youths are still waiting for the leadership of the community to make known and public the details of implementation of the MOU signed with various companies operating in the community. We have no light ,no water, no scholarship for youths and no developmental plans, yet we have SIAT, Agip Oil Company, All Grace Energy and Western Ord etc", he said.
Igwe further alleged that the revenue generated as royalties from the companies operating in the area for the development of the community are misused, stating that the Youths have endured and kept mute for a long time.
When contacted the Community Development Committee ,CDC; Chairman of Ubima, Barrister Mono Akono said the CDC is handicap over the implementation of the MOU because it does not give them power to interface with the company.
Barrister Okono explained that when he took over leadership of the community in 2015, the MOU have been signed with All Grace Energy and Western Ord limited and part of what is in the MOU is that the community would interface with the company through what he described as"MIC".
He further explained that he is not a member of the body called MIC and each time he write to the company, they would reject his letter and asked him to pass through the right channel.
According to him," I have made a written complain to the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs on this issue and waiting for them".
" Reports we gathered was that the company have an internal issue in the court between the financial partners and the technical partners. Their issue is that one partner will not implement the MOU with the community",he said.
He said he has called all the families that have oil Wells and access roads to forge away further, adding that the CDC has not power to force the companies to implement what is in the MOU.
Okono regretted that the community is losing but can not do otherwise based on what is in the MOU. The company AllGrace Energy and Western Ord is owing the community over two hundred million naira but had only paid fifty million .
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