Udom under pressure to set up oil mineral development commission

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has come under pressure by stakeholders from oil producing communities over his reluctance to set up a commission to develop crude oil bearing communities.

The governor hails from Onna Local Government Area, one of the core oil producing areas of the state, and has been widely expected to act fast by setting up an oil development commission to tackle the myriad of developmental challenges facing the oil bearing communities.

His predecessor in office, Godswill Akpabio, who hails from Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district, did not respond to similar agitations for such an agency to be set up.

Four local government areas of the state namely, Ibeno, Esit Eket, Eket and Onna are regarded as core oil producing communities.

There are however other local government area, which are oil producing communities such Eastern Obolo and Mbo local government areas.

According to observers, while development of physical infrastructure was concentrated in Uyo, the state capital and its environs in the last couple of years, the oil producing communities did not witness any ‘transformation’ adding that the major road leading to Ibeno local government where Mobil producing Nigeria has its operation base had been in a state disrepair for years.

The road is however undergoing construction courtesy the good corporate citizenship of the oil company, which has agreed to contribute a sizeable cost of the project estimated at over N25 billion.

Other oil producing communities did not fare better in the provision infrastructure in terms of road, health facilities and drinking water.

Speaking during the recent town hall meeting, Effiong Edunam, a former commissioner and member of the state executive council said oil-producing communities would be better developed if there was a commission to address their development challenges.

Edunam said communities in Mbo local government area had yet to witness any development and urged the state governor to set up an oil mineral development commission.

In the previous years, calls for a development commission for the oil-bearing communities had also fallen on deaf ears.