About 20 communities in Delta State have benefited from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron Nigeria Ltd Joint Ventures, as 52 two-bedroom detached bungalows, one town-hall and an integrated agricultural farm were inaugurated.
This is in line with the with goal 11.1 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which projected that by 2030, nations should ensure, for all, access to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services as well as an upgrade of slums.
The beneficiary communities, which their leaders will allocate the red-roofed two-bedroom detached bungalows to a family each as they deem fit, included Aja-Amita (3), Ebrohimi (2), Gbokoda (3), Jakpa (3), Obaghoro (2), Tebu (3), Kolokolo (3), Sagharatie (1), Tisun (2) and Ureju (3).
Others were Usor (3), Bateren (3), Deghele (3), Ajudaibo (3), Madaghon (2), Ijaghala (2), Ode-Ugborodo (3), Ogidigben (3), Ugbolegin (3), Ugboegungun (2), a town hall at Eghoro and one integrated agricultural farm at Tisun.
Speaking at the two-day inauguration event which held on March 28 and 29, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL), Mr Esimaje Brikinn, expressed great joy at the success of the projects.
Brikinn, who was represented by the Area Manager, PGPA, Mr Sam Daibo and PGPA Superintendent, Mr Tony Emegere at the event respectively, said the 54 projects for the 20 Itsekiri communities in Warri South West and Warri North local government areas, came alive “after a long period of inaction due to internal issues.”
He noted with ecstasy that the IRDC is back, vibrant and united and ready to add value to people’s lives in the member communities.”
Chairman of IRDC, Ambassador Austin Oniyesan, during the inauguration, specially thanked NNPC/Chevron JV for providing the fund, and Delta State government, head of all the Itsekiri communities for the successful completion of the projects which he corroborated were parts of the halfway-done 2014 and 2015 projects.
He recalled that IRDC has been in the forefront of providing scholarships for children in secondary and tertiary institutions and has also provided job opportunities to youths in Chevron and has recently created wealth by training 400 persons in capacity building and skills acquisition.
Representative of the Olu of Warri, Chief Omolubi Newuwumi, who pleaded with the youth to remain peaceful.
He applauded NNPC/Chevron JV and the IRDC which he described as a veritable platform put together to engender developmental projects for their efforts, adding that people should not accede to calls on some communities to withdraw from the committee.
Meanwhile, the Delta State government, represented by the Commissioner of Oil and Gas, Mr Freeman Fregene, who thanked the people for supporting Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other candidates in the last general elections, enjoined the three Warri local government areas to make judicious use of the facilities and further give peace a chance.
