By Michael Eboh

Oil–producing communities in the country, under the aegis of Host Communities of Nigeria, (Producing Oil and Gas), HOSTCOM, yesterday, lamented the Federal Government’s neglect of the Niger Delta region, accusing political leaders in the region of misappropriating over N10 trillion earmarked for the region over the years.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Women’s Wing Chapter in Abuja, National Chairman of HOSTCOM, Mr. Mike Emuh, said that most of the solutions and initiatives put forward to develop the region were frustrated and truncated by political leaders in the regions.

He said, “The 13 per cent derivation is just brouhaha, it is in the hands of corrupt politicians, who are not bothered by the cries of the masses. The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is not different. The people, the president-generals of the communities, the traditional rulers of the host communities are neglected.

“The National Assembly has never passed a Bill in the history of this country in favour of the host communities. NDDC never favours the host communities. The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs  has never favoured the host communities.

“I appreciate the fact that the Federal Government has released so much to the South-South, in trillions. Over N10 trillion had been released so far to the South-South state governments with nothing to show for it. We have the worst roads in the country.  The ecosystem has been destroyed while industrial pollution is everywhere.”

He called on the youths in the region to shun violence and embrace dialogue in ventilating their grievances.

Also speaking, Coordinator of the newly inaugurated FCT Women’s Wing, Mrs. Tumini Akogun, called on the government to do more for the region by ensuring that appropriate legislation that would significantly improve the plight of the host communities was passed into law, adding that this should be treated with a sense of urgency.