The traditional ruler of Obitti autonomous community in Ohaji/Egbema Council Area of Imo State, HRH Eze Emmanuel Odunze, has called for urgent reactivation of the Robber Estate Obitti to forestall recurrence of frequent oil explosions in the area.
The Monarch also called on the state government to immediately convert the large expanse of land in that area for the establishment of industries that would offer jobs to the teeming youths roaming the streets.
The appeal comes a few days after the recent oil explosion which occurred at Indorama oil Company pipeline passing through the two communities of Awara and Akanu in Ohaji/Egbema council area of Imo state and another three communities of Omalelu, Umudioka, and Egbeda in Rivers State.
The monarch told newsmen in his palace on Thursday that the establishment of industries and factories would certainly help in taking the jobless youth away from criminal activities in the area, insisting that failure to do this would continue to encourage them to engage in such acts that may cost their lives.
The traditional ruler blamed the cause of the last incident on the government’s negligence of the Estate and the land.
While he exonerated his community Obitti from the ugly incident, the monarch expressed regret that the place of the unfortunate incident was wrongly credited to Obitti community according to some media reports when the actual fact remains that the explosion did not happen in Obitti because the said pipeline did not pass through the estate.
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According to him, what concerns Obitti community in the incident is the proximity of the Robber Estate which is domiciled in Obitti, adding that the fire explosion only encroached into the estate and destroyed large spans of farmlands and farm crops worth several millions of Naira.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, the traditional ruler confirmed that the incident claimed the life of one person from his community who has been buried.
He said: “Obitti Community has no business with the right of way of Indorama Company that owns the Pipeline. The unfortunate incident occurred as a result of illegal bunkering activities and Obitti youths are not connected.”
He said: “If youths are engaged with jobs, they cannot go into such things that can take their lives.”
The Monarch recalled that the Robber Estate Obitti, which was established between 1962-1963 by M. I Okpara, has suffered serious government negligence, which has turned the place into a criminal hideout for hoodlums.
Adding his voice, the President General of Obitti Community, Mr. Mick Ezenwere, who equally condemned the incident, called on the government in power to harness the potentials of the Estate by establishing industries to drive away and stop further activities of hoodlums in the location.
He said: “Something needs to be done to checkmate the activities of the hoodlums.”
The retired police officer also called for the establishment of a Mobile Squadron that would help in checking hoodlums who are illegally engaged in illegal bunkering and all manner of criminal activities there.
He said: “There has been a clash of separate cult gangs in the place which has been turned into a no-go area for the owners of the land.”
Ezenwere regretted that farm owners pay toll fees before being allowed to harvest their farm crops.
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