WARRI -A prominent leader of Odidi Federated Community in Warri South-West LGA, Sir Samson Robert, has accused the Director of Social Services at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Favour Izoukumor, of deliberately neglecting Odidi community in the Commission’s development activities.
Sir Robert made the allegation on Sunday while speaking with journalists in Benin. He said Odidi, as one of the major oil-producing communities within DESOPADEC’s mandate area, has suffered outright neglect despite having Izoukumor as one of the foremost leaders in Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom on the board.
The Odidi leader argued that the community has contributed immensely to the oil and gas wealth of Delta State, yet has little or nothing to show for it in terms of DESOPADEC projects and Delta State government development iteinary.
“Odidi is a major oil producing community in the catchment area of DESOPADEC, but we have suffered outright neglect and marginalization,” he said.
He expressed disappointment that despite Chief Izoukumor as one of the top representives of Ijaw communities on the DESOPADEC board, Odidi has not benefited from any meaningful intervention.
The angry community leader said he won’t want to talked about Hon. Okpoye Spencer, the commissioner representing Ijaws in the commission, adding that commissioners were spear tyres in the board and that major decisions were taken by directors.
Sir Robert called on Chief Izoukumor and the DESOPADEC board to urgently review their project distribution template to ensure fairness and equity among host communities.
According to him, the continued exclusion of Odidi from key developmental programs of the Commission is unacceptable and threatens the peace in the area.
“We are not asking for favour. We are asking for what is due to us as a major oil-bearing community,” he added.
The community leader urged Governor Elder Sheriff Oborevwori and the speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor to intervene and ensure that DESOPADEC lives up to its mandate of developing oil-producing areas in the state.
“We don’t have light, drinkable water, landing jetty, good school building, Teacher, healthcare, scholarship, appointment, empowerment of the youths, women and other government incentives other oil producing communities enjoyed from the commission”, he lamented.
Robert cautioned the governor against appointing people who could not drive the development of Deltans, adding that some people Oborevwori appointed to political offices are spear typres and failures.
He warned that further neglect of Odidi could lead to serious protest among youths who feel shortchanged despite their community’s huge contributions to the state’s revenue.
However, efforts to reach Chief Favour Izoukumor for a response were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report