Some women from Kula community in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers, on Tuesday, protested lack of electricity, water and other basic amenities in the community

During the protest, the women decried the absence of basic amenities despite several years of oil exploration and the presence of oil companies in the community.

Speaking on behalf of Kula women, the leader, Obele Fisisi, said that the community had faced long years of neglect by both the government and oil companies.

“Kula has been without electricity for about two years, so borehole facilities in the community are not working.

“This has exposed the residents to various kinds of waterborne diseases and economic hardships. These are part of the reasons for this protest,” she said.

Another protester, Ini Don-Pedro, said that many residents of the community depended on water from poorly dug wells for their daily water needs.

“We have also observed that despite being an unsafe source of water, the wells have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” she said.

Ms Don-Pedro urged the government and oil companies in the community to take steps towards restoring electricity and water supply to the community.

“You can see us with placards bearing different inscriptions to express the worrisome trends in our community. Our expectation is that solutions should be proffered quickly.

“We urge the governments and oil companies that are doing business within our domain to come quickly to our rescue,” she said.

Another protester, Purity Dabiri, said that the absence of electricity in the community had continued to make life unbearable for the residents.

“The lack of basic amenities in the community has severely affected public health and the local economy,” she said.

(NAN)