DESPITE being host to crude oil wells, Iguelaba community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State lacks secondary school and functional healthcare facility, it was gathered.
The people in the oil producing community attend secondary school as well as seek medical care in neighbouring Oben community, a few kilometers away from theirs.
They lament poor government presence in the area despite being a major contributor to the state’s internally generated revenue used to develop other parts of the state, saying they still buy water to drink.
Nigeran Tribune gathered that the main source of water in the community was provided by an oil company, Seplat energy coupled with private individuals who sell water from their borehole.
“Aside the renovation of our primary school here which we must commend Governor Obaseki on, there is nothing again to signify government’s presence in our community.
“The EDSOGPADEC liaison office here is already abandoned. NDDC skill acquisition centre abandoned, the health centre has no medical personnel, no worker and nothing whatsoever.
“Even the low voltage electricity we manage to see here was as a result of joint efforts between us and Seplat.
“We brought money from community purse and Seplat added theirs. Also, the water borehole for the community was made available by Seplat yet it is the community that buys diesel to pump the water,” the chief priest of the community, Chief Friday Aiyevbekpen said.
When Nigerian Tribune visited the only healthcare centre in the community on Monday, the facility was under lock and keys, as the surrounding was taken over by reptiles and weedy.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that students in Iguelaba trek kilometers to Oben community, thereby exposing them to kidnappers and other criminal elements on the road.
The people appealed for the completion of multimillion skills acquisition centre, allegedly abandoned by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
They said that the project which started in 2012, when completed will facilitate employment for indigenes and further open up the community, as well as boost socio-economic activities of the area.
“We have made series of requests to the government but to no avail. We can say we are neglected,” one of the community leaders told Nigerian Tribune.
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