Eleme is one of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State. It is the heartbeat of the nation’s economy as an empire of investments. It is a host to close, if not over 200 multinational companies operating in congenial atmosphere of security unlike other business communities in the state as flash points of kidnapping, cultism, and robbery among other shades of criminality.
It is proudly referred to as an engine room of Nigeria’s economy with a visible prove as a host to Indorama world-class petrochemicals and fertilizer company, Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Nigeria’s Onne designated Oil and Gas free zone housing over 170 companies under the management of Orlean Invest/Intels Nigeria limited. Others include NOTORE (old NAFCON) fertilizer and chemical company Nigeria Limited, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) with Federal and Lighter Ocean terminals (FOT & FLT) all situated in the onne industrial community.
What excites stake holders in the industrial Eleme community is the level of security being enjoyed by both local and international investors operating there even though once in a while some pockets of rabble rousers come up to demand for robust employment opportunities and other corporate social responsibility (CSR) right. But such group is different from criminally-induced kidnappers, robbers or cultists with motives to make the business atmosphere insecure for development to thrive.
If there is an Eleme or Rivers man who is passionate and conscious about security of his community and lives and property it is the sitting care-taker-chairman (CTC) of Eleme Local Government Area, Obarilomate Ollor. Ollor, a graduate of medical sciences from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said the only way to guarantee the Eleme youths of Job opportunities despite the economic recession is to first and foremost plant seed of security to bear fruits which would in turn create confidence in the minds of both local and international investors doing business in his domain.
“As a onetime youth president of Onne community, I became endeared to the importance of security in managing people and organisation with reference to the existence of the oil and gas free zone territory in Onne and the community generally. I develop strong management acumen along the line and today the replication is why I am succeeding as CTC of Eleme, running it three times at a stretch”, Ollor said.
“when our pragmatic Governor Wike appointed us to serve in the capacity of care takers, he charged us to ensure prompt payment of workers’ salaries, ensure security of our communities and youth empowerment among others but not to embark on capital intensive council projects due to paucity of finance in the state strictly managed and controlled from the state government level”, he explained further.
The Eleme council boss defended his first and second tenure in office that earned him another third tenure, saying that he kept to his governor’s instruction from A-Z by ensuring prompt payment of workers’ salaries as and when due. According to him, he also cleared huge outstanding debt inherited from the past council administrations, and that with his synergy with security apparatus in the state; he has reawakened the consciousness of Eleme people on security in their communities which became a plus to his administration within the period of his second tenure. He further said that criminal elements who almost dwarfed power of security operatives in most communities like Ebubu, Alode, Alesa, Agbonchia were sacked.
Ollor commended over 300 cultists who openly repented and keyed into the state amnesty programme of Governor Wike. He also said efforts were being made with some companies in Eleme to engage some youths in skills acquisition programme in order to turn the tide of unemployment and criminality in the area.
The caretaker chairman, whose body language speaks volume about his greater and higher aspiration, identified himself as a servant leader willing to stand and represent his Eleme people and Rivers in general at any given opportunity.
Even as some communities in Rivers State have at one time or the other expressed their dissatisfaction over Governor Wike’s development programme across the local government areas, saying he is concentrating more on his Ikwerre axis so he might not get their support for Second term come 2019. But the Eleme council boss and the People’s Democratic Party members, loyalists and supporters said they are far from those distancing themselves from the governor’s second tenure interest. Ollor was emphatic, “Governor Wike has our unalloyed support. We in Eleme are strongly rooted for him. I am not talking politics here because we believe in the saying that, ‘give honour to whom honour is due’, and do not deny a king of throne if he is justified to ascend it”.
He defended further that, Governor Wike has from his first year to his second year in office justified his servant-leadership to qualify him for second tenure, and that he has proven that his aspiration is not an inordinate ambition.
Hear him, “let me tell you why Eleme people have good reasons to root for him. He has delivered beyond electoral promises in Eleme land within his first year in office by flagging off rehabilitation of the near-dead General Hospital in Ogale Nchia-Eleme, completion and commissioning of Alesa water project.
Others include rehabilitation of some state schools in Alesa and Onne communities, rehabilitation of Agbonchia internal road. Within his second year in office he has mapped out Alesa-Agbonchia-Oyigbo connecting road for reconstruction.
Most outstanding according to Ollor is Governor Wike’s intervention in the crises between the Indorama six host communities and their Elano Nigeria Limited which was managing their shares from the Indorama Company over the years because of some intractable disagreement between the two parties.
Ollor attested that to avoid further destruction and threats to lives, the governor applied what he called “Solomonic wisdom” to dissolve the two parties by which the communities would henceforth take charge of their shares/dividends directly through their appointed board of trustees.
The Eleme council boss said since the governor permitted the Elano and the host communities to part ways, dew of peace head begun to settle in the communities which is a plus to the governor’s attraction to Eleme people.
Ollor, who expressed appreciation to the governor for appointing him as CTC for the third time, promised to consolidate on security in the business community, sanitation to keep the environment clean, regular payment of workers’ salaries, intensify synergy with security apparatus to ensure that Eleme remains investor-delight, assuring that the international business community could count on him.
Godwin Egba, Port-Harcourt
