By  Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa — A group, Egi National Congress, has tasked  Rivers State House of Assembly on the passage of the establishment of Oil and Gas Minerals Producing Communities Bill in order to fast-track socio-economic development in the affected areas.

President of Egi National Congress, Pastor Nonye Nwokomah, in an interview in Yenagoa, lamented what he described as the slow pace of development in the affected areas, in spite of their contribution to the socio-economic development of, not only the region, but the entire country.

He said the impacts of 13 percent derivation fund was not felt by oil producing communities, and called on the government of Rivers State to constitute a body that would be empowered through necessary legal frame work.

“Egi people are not seeing the impact of the fund in their area as a major single oil producing community in the state, if we are not benefitting who are those benefiting?” The group queried.

Describing their demand as legitimate, Nwokomah said the clan could no longer continue to suffer in silence in the midst of total marginalization, deprivation and clear injustice.

“While the people of the clan had remained peaceful, oil extraction going on interrupted over the years, the money from our land is being used to pacify those vandalizing pipes and outright stopping of oil business in their territory,” he noted.

The group, therefore, urged the people to have confidence in the ability of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, adding that what “we should do is to be pro-active in supporting government policies and programme while using legitimate means to demands for our rights.”