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By Chinonso Alozie, Owerri
The Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, has called on monarchs and stakeholders of the oil-rich communities of the oil-producing states, in the country to start thinking beyond oil to boost other economic activities in their areas.
Uzodimma stated this in Owerri, alongside other stakeholders from oil-rich communities, in an event tagged Urashi Economic Summit: “Our people beyond oil.”
The stakeholders pointed out that the planned dredging of the Urashi river would be of great economic benefit to communities around the Urashi riverine areas.
The Governor represented by the State Commissioner for Petroleum, Eugene Opara, said: “I am pleased with this summit, especially the focus on how our people should look beyond oil and we are asking the people of Urashi communities what is their faith beyond oil. It is good monarchs from oil areas are here. You people deserve more than what you have benefitted.
“Like Chapter 3 of the Petroleum Industry Act PIA has created a relationship between the community and the stages of how the communities can benefit from the oil exploration in their communities.
“The PIA provided the provision for the board of trustees. So, we plead with our people not to fight over positions but rather let us work together to achieve the desired goal. Also, we appeal to our brothers to remove selfishness so that we can benefit. Just like we are talking of the Urashi dredging river project which covers a lot of communities. The Imo state government is working towards how to make our youths employable and benefit from the project.”
“To achieve this, more than 2000 Imo youths are to be trained to benefit from the Urashi river project. Dredging of the Urashi river will help the oil-free zone project, and boost economic activities in the oil communities,” the governor said.
Earlier in his remark, the chairman of the occasion, HRM King Alfred Diete-Spiff, the Amayanagbo of Twon Brass, Bayelsa State, while explaining the purpose for the summit, said: “We want our people to come and instil ideas of what we should do after oil. We should come up with far-reaching decisions.
“The people of Urashi, communities should train young people as pilots. This is an area we can invest in from there you can decide to have an airline at the same vain we should have a maritime academy to train our children to meet an international standard and compete anywhere in the world. This is an opportunity we have to discuss so many other opportunities to benefit our people outside of oil. We have also heard of solar power, and wind power and our people should also be investing in these areas.”
Also, adding his voice, the convener of the Urashi Economic summit, Ejike Chukwu, said:” the Urashi River project is to prepare us for the future of oguta, Ohaji, Ndoni and all the communities leaving around the Urashi river. The purpose of the event is to rescue our region, expose opportunities create new perspectives, and shift to renewable energy as well as to create sustainable economic activities for our people.”
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