By Ndujihe Clifford
People of the oil-rich Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State have lamented “their deplorable state and lack of basic infrastructure, occasioned by the sad neglect of the communities in the area by successive governments, both at the state and federal levels, despite the fact that the area is littered with oil wells, and hosts the operations of dozens of oil companies.”

One of its prominent indigenes and community and rights advocate, Pastor Godwin Osademe, described the area as the “most backward local government area in Delta North.”

“In fact,” he said, “politically, it appears that government has excluded the entire council from the national map in terms of development index, due largely to absence of basic infrastructure.

“The gory state of our environment is worsened by the current flood challenges that make life hellish in the area.”

The worst hit by this absence of development, according to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, cleric, is the Akarai-Etiti axis— Akarai Obodo, Umuti, Umuolu, Iyede Ame, Onogbokor, among others— in the council, which he said has no single passable road, electricity, education or health care facilities, portable water or any other basic infrastructure.