The people of Olugbobiri kingdom in southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have decried the absence of basic amenities in the communities that make up the kingdom despite years of oil exploration in the area.
Indigenes of the kingdom made up of youths, women and elders, who took to the streets of the kingdom in protest of their neglect by government and oil firms operating in the area, said since the beginning of oil exploration in the kingdom in 1973, they do not have good health centres, standard schools, power supply, among other amenities.
The protest which paralysed business activities in the communities, also witnessed the youths occupying strategic places.
The demonstrators, who chanted solidarity songs as they marched from one community to the other, expressed displeasure about lack of development in the area since the discovery and beginning of oil exploration in the kingdom.
The protesters vowed to continue until the relevant authorities addressed the injustices done to them.
Speaking during the protest, a female protester, Ebiere Abel, complained that the women from the kingdom were being neglected by the government.
She said: “We are suffering in this kingdom. It appears as if we are left to die. Nothing is happening. No amenities, nothing to write home about. Our means of livelihood have been badly affected and nobody is doing anything to help us.”
Leader of the protest, Teide Wakaman, attributed the underdevelopment of Olugbobiri kingdom to selfish leaders, who were willing to keep the people in darkness and bondage just to amass wealth for themselves and their families.
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