By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – The Chairman, Oyibo Local Government Council in Rivers, Dr Gbali Chisom, has appealed to the Federal Government to rehabilitate federal roads linking Afam power plant to stimulate economic activities in the area.
The chairman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Oyibo that the poor condition of the roads had made the area unattractive for investment.
He said that movement of heavy equipment and trucks by multi-national companies operating in the area, contributed to the deplorable state of the roads in the area.
Chisom said: “the Federal Government should urgently intervene by repairing roads in the area especially the road from Oyibo Express Junction to Okoloma and Umuagbai Obete roads.
“It is rather unfortunate that an area that hosts about 96 oil and gas wells have roads that can be described as death traps.
“Aside the poor state of our roads, our environment has been polluted as a result of the activities of multi-nationals companies operating in our domain.
“Oyibo local government area have over 96 oil and gas wells yet Shell, NNPC, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company and Transmission Company of Nigeria are insensitive to the plight of the host communities.”
The chairman listed other companies operating in the area to include General Electric, Generation Companies, Alcon and Netcodicsmann.
Chisom also expressed concern at the poor and epileptic electricity supply to some communities in the area despite playing host to Afam power plant and Transmission Company of Nigeria.
The chairman said that in spite of these challenges and deprivations, youths in the area had remained peaceful and cooperative.