STAKEHOLDERS in the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Host communities are hailing the Okerewa Community Trust, Okerewa Community Development InitiativE, OCDI, for being a leading light in Community Development in the area.

The stakeholders expressed joy that the OCDI, through an initiative ended the insecurity bedeviling the area and ushered in rapid development of the area.

Stakeholders including the Chairman of Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Host Communities, Sir Obianko Nwolu-Elechi and the Chairman of Njuru Community Trust, Barr. Obarianenu Nwokolu have commended the Okerewa Community Development Initiative (OCDI) for the transformation witnessed in the community over the last 3 years.

They said the Trust had immediately trained and set up a community base security outfit that worked hand in hand with the various security agencies and positioned them at strategic positions to contain crime in the area.
This move they say has drastically impacted the community as business now thrive with influx of non-indigenes renting houses.

Speaking, Sir Obianko Nwolu Elechi, who is a former Rector of Ken Saro Wiwa Polytechnic said the 2023 Okerewa Carnival was a testament to the peace and security being enjoyed in the community as the Four days’ event lasted into the wee hours of the morning without any security breach.

Elechi said: “From what we can see in Okerewa, the network of roads constructed, the access to sustainable finance through the Okerewa Cooperative constituted by the OCDI, the investment in Education including scholarship to all Okerewa undergraduates, the Foreign Post graduate Scholarship, the capacity building scheme and empowerment of members of the community are just some of the tangible things that we are aware of that the Okerewa Community Development Initiative (OCDI) have put in place.”

Sir Obianko Elechi reiterated that the relative peace in the community is due to the harmony of interest and the prudent management of the community dividends from IEPL by the Chairman of OCDI, Hon. Benjamin Ngokanya and his team.

Also, the Chairman of Njuru Community Trust, Barr. Obarianenu Nwokolu said the Okerewa Community Trust is the leading Trust in terms of infrastructural development and community engagement, commending Okerewa community leaders for their commitment to development of their community.

Obarianenu said: “Okerewa has been a leading light to every one of us, with the number of infrastructure on ground in the community including the Okerewa smart farm, the quality of road network as well as the empowerment and skill acquisition going on in the community, you will see that they are setting the pace in community development”

In the meantime, the Chairman of Okerewa Community Development Initiative (OCDI), Hon. Benjamin Ngokanya has restated his commitment to the growth and development of his community.

Benjamin while giving update on some of the programmes being carried out by the OCDI revealed that the award of Scholarship to Miss Gold Ikodie to study in the United Kingdom is a testament of the community commitment to the development of education in Okerewa.

Benjamin pointed out that over 90 persons have been trained in various skill acquisitions to increase their capacity so that they can be part of the Digital Farm Business initiative ongoing in the Community and other places of interest. He urged all beneficiaries to ensure they utilize the experience they’ve gathered during the training so it will benefit them and their loved ones including the community.

“Okerewa Community Trust had entered a 10 years’ agreement with a construction company, Chanita Constructions Company, to construct all her internal roads in phases, this was due to the dilapidated state of all Okerewa internal roads which experiences flooding whenever there was rainfall.”