By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Oil-producing communities in Olero Creek, Delta State, have renewed their demand for urgent government intervention, insisting that essential projects ranging from potable water to internal roads can no longer be delayed.
The communities say their expectations align with the state government’s M.O.R.E Agenda and should be treated as immediate priorities.
Their position follows fresh appeals for federal and state authorities to fast-track development in the region, warning that prolonged neglect has kept residents in hardship despite sustaining national crude production.
The leaders of Ebrohimi, Obaghoro, Tebu, Gbokoda, Aja-Amita, Udo, Jakpa and other settlements said they were forced to restate their demands after years of slow or non-existent government response.
They urged the Federal Government to dredge the waterways leading to Olero Creek to improve access to several hard-to-reach communities and enhance security in the region.
They also called for a fair employment system that prioritises indigenes of oil-producing areas, alongside strict compliance with the newly approved host-community contracting policy.
In a jointly signed statement, the leaders lamented that their communities remain underdeveloped despite decades of contributing significantly to state and national revenue.
“The irony remains that while resources extracted from our land sustain the nation, our people are left without the most basic necessities of life, including healthcare,” they said. “Is it justifiable for the communities that lay the golden eggs for our state and the nation to continue to be treated with such disregard?”
They added that the absence of potable water, electricity and functional health facilities continues to expose residents to severe health risks and limit economic growth.
Speaking earlier at a press briefing in Warri, Dr. Roland Ukuesan (Field Chairman), Samson Ogboduwa (Field Secretary) and Canaan Ajagbawa (Community Leader) said years of government inaction had caused avoidable suffering.
“The continued neglect of the communities has caused death and untold hardship,” they said. “Our people are exposed to health risks due to lack of potable water and electricity.”
The leaders described their demands as “non-negotiable,” warning that residents “are restless” and prepared to take any lawful action necessary to draw government attention.
Oil-producing communities in the Olero Creek field reiterated that they would not hesitate to shut down operations if their concerns continue to be ignored.