Bayelsa community protest against plan to relocate NCMDB project

YOUTHS and communities in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, have protested an alleged plot by the Nigeria Content Management Development Board (NCMDB) to relocate a project sited in one of their communities.

It was gathered that NCMDB acquired a parcel of land at Emeyal community during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to establish a project called Oil and Gas Park.

Following the exit of the President, some undisclosed forces were said to have allegedly mounted pressure on the NCMDB to move the project to another local government area.

While sources within the community also linked the state government to the moves to take the project to Toru-Orua, the community of Governor Seriake Dickson in Sagbama Local Government Area, others said the state government had nothing to do with the issue.

Investigations revealed that the suspected moves to remove the project have unsettled Ogbia with different youth groups threatening fire and brimstone.

It was learnt that the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Ogbia clans, Niger Delta Youth Movement (NDYM), the Ogbia Brotherhood and Emeyal Youth Group held series of meetings over the development.

They were said to have written a letter of protest to the Executive Secretary of the content board warning against any plot to divert the project.

The letter was signed by Chairman, IYC, Ogbia Clans, Osaanya B. Osaanya; President, Ogbia Brotherhood Youth Council (OBYC), Daziba
Apiri; Secretary-General, NDYM, Isaac Amakuro, President, Emeyal Youth Group (EYG), Victor Otobo and the National Union of Ogbia Students (NUOS).

In the letter, the stakeholders appreciated the decision of the content board to locate the oil and gas park in Ogbia, the council where oil was first struck in commercial quantity in Nigeria.

They, however, expressed concerns over speculations that the board was under pressure to move the project to another local government area.

They said: “The Ogbia youths want to inform the board that the project is welcome in Ogbia and advise the board to remain resolute to the Act that established it and keep politics out of its operations.

“Ogbia youths will stand to resist any attempts from any quarter no matter how highly placed the individual may be to remove the oil gas park out of Ogbia because the project stands to develop Ogbia and its environs.

“It is an established fact that the board has acquired a portion of land in Emeyal community in Ogbia and pray for the board to continue the project in Ogbia.”