Imo: Restive youths in oil-bearing communities advised to drop arms

Youths in the oil-bearing communities of Ohaji/Egbema councillors area of Imo State have been advised to drop their arms and cooperate with the authorities to ensure the development of their areas.

The newly inaugurated Chairman, Board of Trustees of ANOH-GAS Processing Company Ltd Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) Assa, Imo State, Engr. Gideon Ikechukwu Nwaeze, gave the advice during a brief chat with newsmen shortly after the event in Owerri on Friday.

He reminded them that there is usually no peace or development in any environment or community that is crisis-ridden, adding that such a situation is unhealthy and does not in any way attract investors.

He said: “No matter how we cooperate, there is need for them to drop arms, because no investor would like to come to the troubled community for any kind of investment.”

Engr. Nwaeze affirmed his belief that no level of insecurity would pose a serious challenge to the progress of the project being carried out in the Awara Court Area, provided every stakeholder, including those in the bush, is carried along.

He said: “Insecurity would not be our challenge. It’s only when you neglect people that you begin to see them behave differently. Those people that are there have listening ears. I have worked with them, I have talked to them.”

Nwaeze assured that having done his first pipeline project in some of the communities through NNPC and SPDC, he would continue to be transparent by carrying them along and being able to tell them the exact way of doing things.

He said that by bringing all stakeholders together and having discussions with them, there would be no issues, because in the past he had worked with them and there was no issue.

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On what is expected of him as the chairman of the Board, Engr. Nwaeze said that all the responsibilities are spelt out by the company, adding that the assignment is not for one person alone.

According to him, all stakeholders will be called together to decide on the project of their choice in their communities, adding that the power lies in their hands to decide on what the money would be used for.

He pointed out that his duty is to do everything in the most transparent way to avoid any form of hijacking of the funds by anybody.

The chairman also highlighted what he described as his priority, which is the electrification of Assa Court Area, which according to him is ongoing. As the contractor handling the project, he said he has so far spent not less than N50 million, assuring that he would continue until the project is completed.