Women in Abia oil community demand ministerial slot

Women of Ukwa, the only oil producing area in Abia state, took to the Aba – Port Harcourt express way, to stage a peaceful protest over alleged neglect and marginalisation of their community  by governments in the country.

The women, who protested under the aegis of the Concerned Women of Ukwa land, said it was unfortunate that they were suffering because their farmlands, that hitherto gave good yield, have become unproductive due to the negative effects of oil exploration and exploitation in their area.

Speaking through their leader, Mrs. Odochi Onuegbu, said for the several years and despite the revenue being generated from the area there has not been much to show for it.

She said even with the setting up of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to intervene in both infrastructural and human capital development of the area, the communities has continued to suffer various forms of deprivation.

According to Mrs. Onuegbu, in addition those who have influenced the appointment of their sons into the board of the commission have diverted nearly all the projects to their own areas.

She said this developments have pushed them into demanding a slot for an indigene of Ukwa land  to be appointed as a minister.

Also speaking Mrs. Adaku Ihenkor said the federal government should partner with their communities by appointing an indigene of the area as a minister who shall guide the government in the appointment of credible Ukwa indigenes into the board of the Commission.

“We are basically farmers and depend on the output of our farms to feed our families and send our children to school with many of the public schools not giving us what we want, we struggle to patronise the private schools that charge us the money we don’t have.

“If we had someone in government who can influence appointment into the NDDC, our people would have been in a position to manage their own affairs themselves and avoid the current situation where people from other places put their stooges in the Commission to do their biddings,” she said.