PRAISE GBUBENE – ABRAHAM: PROVIDING COMFORT FOR UGBORODO COMMUNITY

Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation in Coastal Region Communities (CROWEF) and Escravos Ugborodo Women Empowerment (EWEF), have been inaugurated. The president, Mrs. Praise Gbubene-Abraham said that the NGOs are to give comfort to women in the community.

According to her, she decided to establish it after listening to the cries of Niger-Delta rural youths and the women in the creeks who are surrounded by water, yet have none to drink. 'The NGOs are here to give them comfort. To the long suffering people of the Niger Delta, there is hope because help has finally come'.

Addressing her community at the Mom's Civic Centre, Airport Road, Warri, Delta State, Gbubene-Abrahams said the essence of the inauguration was to create awareness, as for once, people-oriented NGOs have been established.

She pointed out that her community, which now survives through the mercy of God, needs help. She lamented that the five communities that make up Ugborodo community is in dire need of government assistance. She agreed that some educated Ugborodo indigenes can hunt and get menial jobs from oil companies around, but wonders what happens to the illiterate rural dwellers who cannot go to oil companies to look for jobs.

Explaining the reasons for the untold hardship, the president said it was after the crisis that rocked Ijaw and the Itshekiri that Chevron had to protect their tank, farm and investment.

'They fenced Ugborodo community off and never allowed them to come in and do their businesses'. The situation was such that the economic lifestyle of the people was now in misery.

She said when they were allowed to get into the farm, they could trade, get things to buy, but immediately the fence was errected, they lost their means of livelihood. 'These are people who do not have land for farming, cannot fish the way they should fish, people who do not have any other means of livelihood except when they get contract jobs from the oil company'.

She, therefore, urged the Itsekiris in Diaspora to go home and develop their fatherland. She equally advised churches, corporate bodies, individuals, oil exploration and servicing companies operating in the region to join the vanguard of change by becoming more committed to their corporate social responsibility.