Rep asks IOCs to give host communities palliatives

By John Ofikhenua, Abuja

A member of the House of Representatives, who represents the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency of Bayelsa, Hon. Preye Oseke, has sought the support of 24 International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the Niger Delta for the fight against COVID -19 in local communities.

In his letter dated 22nd May 2020 addressed to the Managing Director ENI Group and other oil and gas firms, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources noted the effects of the Coronavirus has taken a toll on the socio-economic well-being of the people.

He said guided by the number of persons that have tested positive for the virus vis-à-vis the total population, it becomes imperative to highlight the aftermath of COVID-19 could spell doom for the people if the nutritional needs of the people are not urgently looked into.

He noted: “While billions are budgeted for just a fragment of the population that have tested positive to the virus, important as it may seem, the larger chunk, if not swiftly accorded a commensurate attention, could pose much more challenges now and in the near future.”

The lawmaker said the needs to complement the efforts of the federal and state governments; regional and interventionist agencies in the procurement of palliatives aimed at ameliorating the plight of the people were highly solicited.

This way, according to him, the lot of the people who, living mainly along coastlines and hinterlands, and as such hardly benefit from other interventions, yet locked down, could have a sigh of relief.

Oseke said there was no gainsaying that the negative impact of COVID-19 on societies across the globe in varying forms has been very alarming.

He added that following the index case in Lagos-Nigeria, nearly all states of the federation has witnessed the disease in varying numbers.

In the Niger Delta region of the country in particular, all nine (9) states, with the exception of Cross River, have recorded cases, he said.

The lawmaker said as a precautionary measure to mitigate the spread of the disease in the country, the federal government, as well as its state counterparts, have imposed series of lockdowns.

He said in addition to the environmental challenges hitherto faced by host communities of oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities within the context of their surrounding ecosystem, the pandemic has spelt untold sufferings particularly on the people of these communities in different forms.