By Samuel OYADONGHA

Ekeremor is one of the many oil rich local government council areas in Bayelsa State that cannot be accessed by road.

Though the Federal Government through its interventionist agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), embarked on what many described as ‘cosmetic road project’ from the Sagbama flank to link the isolated oil rich Ekeremor enclave to mainland Yenogoa and the few upland communities in the state.

The project was starved of funds causing it to go at snail speed for many years, a development that prompted the administration of Seriake Dickson to ask the commission to hands off the road and took over the project.

Interestingly, the Bayelsa West senatorial district like the central and east senatorial districts is host to the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, while the natives are predominantly farmers and fishermen.

While the oil companies and the Nigerian state are making mega fortunes from the exploration and exploitation of crude oil, the natives are wallowing in penury and are at the receiving end of the environmental despoliation associated with the industry in the Niger Delta.

With the rivers and land polluted leading to poor harvest, most of the natives have been forced to abandon their traditional farming and fishing occupation.

This development, coupled with the absence of manufacturing industry in the area to absorbed the displaced fishing and farming population among others have brought about widespread poverty among the natives.

it was against the backdrop of this scenario that the Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri,  initiated an empowerment scheme designed to assist indigenes of the area in setting up small-scale businesses to boost the crusade against poverty in the area..

The scheme, which is a collaborative effort with the National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP, has succeeded in rekindling the hope of many of the natives.

It was therefore not surprising that Ekeremor community came alive last weekend, when indigenes of the senatorial district, converged on the serene riverside settlement to receive yet another set of empowerment tools from Senator Lokpobiri.

Over 500 persons from the area, especially women and the youths went home with mouth watering empowerment tools to start their own businesses, a gesture initially seen as the exclusive preserve of the trans-national oil firms.

A similar exercise it would be recalled was held last year at Sagbama where over 1000 indigenes of the senatorial district were given empowerment packages to kick start and also boost existing businesses of beneficiaries in the area.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the initiator of the scheme, Senator Lokpobiri said it was part of his contributions to assist in improving the fortunes of his people whose means of livelihood have been negatively affected as a result of the activities of the multi-national oil companies operating in the area.

“As you are aware, our people are mainly farmers and fishermen, but the advent of the oil companies and the attendant pollution of the environment have impacted negatively on farming and fishing activities. What we are doing is to empower them so that they will be in a position to cater for themselves and take care of their families,” Lokpobiri said.

He, however, expressed displeasure at the attitude of some of the beneficiaries of the scheme, who sold equipment meant for poverty eradication at give-away prices.

The senator recalled that some of those that benefitted from last year’s empowerment scheme held at Sagbama in Sagbama council area sold the equipment given to them at the venue of the ceremony.

According to him, some of the beneficiaries sold equipment that cost over N100,000 to interested buyers at a paltry sum of N20, 000.

He described their action as discouraging and not in tandem with effort aimed at eradicating poverty at the grassroots.

His words, “last year a similar exercise was held at Sagbama where empowerment packages were given out to beneficiaries.