…Igwe Oliver Nnaji of Oguaniocha is still missing up till today*
Arinze Awogu, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state, has decried the long neglect and loss of human lives in their attempt to make Anambra an oil-producing state.
Awogu, who is also the National Coordinator of Ikemba Front, an All Progressives Congress (APC) support group, disclosed on Friday in Atani community of the area.
The then Political Adviser to the former governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, paid glowing tribute to Obiano and all those who lost their lives in the struggle to make the state secure an oil-producing status.
He expressed shock that some expatriates were even more corrupt than Nigerians, as they were busy drilling and bunkering Anambra oil in the name of Delta and Rivers states’ oil, but were silent on the fate of the real owners of the oil, Anambra.
“When we confronted the expatriate, they attempted to compromise us, but we were not people who could be easily compromised with money.
“Then we took steps. Thank God for Chief Obiano. It is only him and myself who can talk how many lives we lost in the struggle to make Anambra an oil bearing state,” Awogu added.
He, however, said that it was disheartening that after all the efforts, not even the slimmest of benefits have accrued to the oil bearing communities of Ogbaru local Government Area.
He said: “Oguaniocha is a desolate place today.The king of Oguaniocha is still missing up till today. The state government has done nothing to unravel the disappearance of of Igwe Oliver Nnaji.
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“And who will be happy with that. The town has remained a rendezvous of all manner of unspoken activities, and the State Government has turned dearer.
”Half of Oguikpele is the centre of River Niger. There is a terrible water erosion ravaging the community where oil is being produced, yet our state government pretends nothing is happening there, whereas billions of oil dollars accrue to the coffers of the state through derivation. So it is a concern,” he recounted.
He also said that the stretch of road from Osomala -Obeagwe-Akili-Ogidi- Oguikpele remained impassable year in, year out.
In the same vein, Osomala -Umunankwo-Oguaniocha road is in the same state, even though these communities bear the oil with which Anambra State garners billions every month.
”What then would be more wicked? What then can be man’s inhumanity to man that a place you are generating a whole lot, you care less about them, carry out roughshod against the people. There is no amenity there. The road infrastructure is in the worst state. There is no electricity.
“Oguaniocha, Oguikpele have never seen electricity since the days of Adam and Eve. They also have not seen good roads. And somebody is telling me we should count Ogbaru as part of Anambra state,” Awogu queried.
According to him, during this struggle, nobody bothered about where the people came from, but their commitment., This is how one of them from Imo state became Special Assistant to our then-governor
”If we could do that in APGA, we would do far more in APC. So, everybody would be accommodated . What we want is our commitment and we will get there,” Awogu assured.
