Ayoma Urges Tinubu To Prioritize Infrastructural Development Of Ughievwen Kingdom

Okobaro Palace, Delta State — Prominent community leader and multiple Chief, Freeborn Ayoma, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently liaise with the management of major oil operators, including NPDC, SPDC, NNPC, Transcorp, and other operators in the region, to ensure the award of tangible contracts and the employment of qualified sons and daughters of the Ughievwen Kingdom in senior management positions.

Chief Ayoma, a former President of Iwhrekreka Community and the current Otota (spokesperson) of Iwhrekreka in the Ughievwen Kingdom, expressed his deep concern over what he described as the continued marginalization of the Ughievwen people by oil multinationals operating in the area. He lamented that despite the vast oil and gas resources extracted from their land, these companies have consistently failed to comply with local content laws designed to empower host communities.

According to Chief Ayoma, many youths from Ughievwen and Udu Kingdoms remain unemployed or are offered only casual positions, while lucrative contracts and executive roles are handed over to non-indigenous persons. He described this situation as not only unjust but deeply frustrating for the communities that continue to bear the brunt of oil exploration activities.

“Our children are being used as casual staff rather than being integrated into senior or management positions. Juicy contracts are being awarded to non-Ughievwen and non-Udu citizens, which is completely unacceptable,” Ayoma said with a firm voice.

He further emphasized the strategic importance of the region, stating, “Let it be known that the only best and largest gas plant in Africa is located right here in Ughievwen/Udu Kingdom. Yet, our people are left out of the benefits that should rightly come to them.”

Chief Ayoma did not stop there. He called on the elected representatives from the area, including members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, to immediately raise an urgent motion addressing these concerns at the National Assembly. He stressed the importance of legislative action to compel these companies to respect local content regulations and ensure that host communities benefit from the natural resources extracted from their land.

Ayoma made this passionate appeal at the Okobaro Palace during the chieftaincy confirmation ceremony of Olorogun Evatapha, speaking to newsmen who were present at the event.

He concluded by urging President Tinubu to take decisive action in partnership with the relevant agencies and oil operators to correct the imbalance and ensure that both infrastructural development and human capital growth are prioritized in the Ughievwen Kingdom.

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