The Minister of State for Education, Hon. Good luck Nanah Opiah has called on Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State to prevail on the oil companies to assist their flood-ravaging host communities in the state.
The call comes even as floods continue to ravage oil-bearing communities of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGA in Imo State, displaying thousands of people with an uncountable number of houses being submerged.
Opiah made the request Friday during the visit of state government”s officials to the Abacheke community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, where relief materials worth several millions of Naira were donated to flood victims in the area.
He regretted that oil companies operating in the communities of Ohaji/Egbema are insensitive and hardly respond to the plight of the people even in the face of flood disaster.
He said: “the interest of the oil companies is to get the crude oil and get away without assisting their host communities in time of disaster.”
The minister who commended the call on the Federal Goverment by the state government for the dredging of Orashi River as the best way to tackle the flood problem in the areas added that such measure if tackled would boast the economic base of the state.
Opiah said that it’s the first time the state government is promptly reacting to the flood issue in his area adding that previous administrations fails to do so.
“In 2012 when a similar situation occurred, the Imo State government then never come to the rescue of the people of his community,” he said.
He recalled that only dignitaries from Abuja came to the rescue of his community including the present Governor of Imo State Sen. Hope Uzodimma when he was a serving senator.
He said, “today Imo State has made history for coming promptly to rescue by bringing succour to the affected people.”
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