By CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

BEFORE the discovery and extraction of oil in Izombe, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, the rural, peaceful town was something anybody would wish to be his ancestral home. Things however changed abruptly with the advent of oil. The town started experiencing difficult times.

At some point, the town was completely a no-go-area because of very serious intra-communal strife. No villager believed in the other person. Confusion reigned supreme.

Property of varying shapes and worth, including public and private buildings and historical artifacts, were either burnt or destroyed. Apart from the damage to property, many people lost their lives and those who were lucky to survive the onslaught sought refuge in neighbouring communities. Izombe sadly transformed into a ghost town.

Return of sanity: It took years to achieve peace. Surviving the peace was equally a different ball game, but when some sanity returned, the people gladly commenced the process of reintegrating and rehabilitating the returning refugees, as well as reconstructing damaged buildings.

In the process, some concerned people of Izombe formed a group known as Jisike Regional Development Foundation, JRDF. This group has turned out to be a community-driven development organisation in the area. The organisation’s target is to upgrade the living standards of the people and ensure sustainable growth and development through a global memorandum of understanding, GMoU, with oil companies operating in the community.

Vanguard Features gathered that JRDF was founded in 2005 to represent Obeabo and Umunwama autonomous communities. The body has since entered into and signed a GMoU with Chevron Nigeria Limited, Imo State Government and other stakeholders to work together to create a climate of mutual understanding, promotion of development and peace in the community. This understanding will equally create the needed peaceful atmosphere for the oil company to perform its operation without hindrance.

Although this agreement has its challenges, it has however inspired constructive efforts and commitments in taking responsibility and positive action to actualise the desired needs and aspirations of Izombe people.

The process has continued to provide the platform for other stakeholders to participate in the development and transformation of the communities. In the last eight years of the GMoU, the community has recorded more successes and continued to add value to life and living. What is more interesting is that the capacities of JRDF members have been built and continually strengthened to take advantage of the abundant opportunities, as well as bring meaningful development to the communities.

Past projects executed under the GMoU

Tremendous progress was made in providing solar-powered water projects in seven villages. They include Umuele, Umuakpa, Ubagwugwu, Amaudo, Umuowerre and Ndiawa, all in Obeabo and Umunwama communities.

The body has equally constructed a one-block of 20 lock-up stores at Ekewell Market, installed a 500KVA transformer with high and low tension distribution lines in Ugbele village and constructed two town halls in Eziama and Okwudor villages.

With the transfer of community scholarship administration to JRDF in 2010 by Chevron Nigeria Limited, the body has provided yearly scholarship to post-primary and post-secondary students from the area.

In 2011, JRDF initiated economic empowerment programme under a revolving loan scheme with the purchase and distribution of 27 tricycles as poverty reduction strategy. The body hopes to extend this gesture to another 30 beneficiaries before the end of this year.

New projects: The organisation has recently completed and commissioned N134.6 million projects. They include Umunwama Cottage Hospital as well as two electricity projects. Two 500KVA transformers have been installed and energised. Similarly, high tension and low tension distribution lines have equally been extended to homes, as part of the rural electrification programme of the organisation.

Toilet facilities and educational support projects have been completed in Umunwama Girls Secondary School. As at the last count, 20 youths from the community are currently being trained at the National Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha, Anambra State.

What makes this hospital project embarked upon by the community very laudable is that there is no functional hospital to serve the needs of the entire Oguta South. The hospital has Nurses and Doctors’ quarters. With the commissioning of this hospital and installation of state-of-the-art facilities, the four communities in Izombe and the neighbouring towns in Oguta local council area can now access the facility.

In a message delivered at the commissioning ceremony on behalf of the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, PGPA, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Deji Haastrup, said the projects would not have been realised without the support and cooperation of the villagers.

“We are excited about the progress being made by the JRDF since the GMoU was signed in 2005. Today, we are happy that numerous achievements in the last year include the completion and commissioning of the Umunwama Cottage Hospital, the procurement and installation of two 500KVA transformers with high and low tension distribution lines, as well as the numerous economic empowerment initiatives, including the tricycle revolving loan scheme”, Haastrup said.

He was particularly happy that without the support and cooperation of the communities, they would not have realised their dream of making the GMoU model an effective social performance model.

Chevron’s PGPA, who was represented by the GMoU Coordinator, Eastern Operations, Mr. George Iluwa, was also of the view that “these partnerships have added significant value to communities in our areas of operations and we will like it to be sustained through enabling business environment”.

The greatest success of the GMoU is in meeting its objectives of making communities take the driver’s seat in their own development and ensuring huge empowerment and capacity building opportunities get to their people.

Like the Chairman of JRDF said, “the GMoU model is working and leaving lasting legacies in our communities”.