Indigenes of the Unyenge community in the Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State protested on Thursday against neglect by oil firms operating in the area for the past 17 years.

The protesters led by the Unyenge Youth President, Joseph Timothy, demanded the reconstruction of the community’s collapsed bridge and the implementation of an eight-point development agenda.

Mr Timothy said the bridge, linking Unyenge Village and Unyenge Beach to the companies’ operational base, collapsed on October 15, 2025, after a heavily laden company truck passed over it.

The youth leader said that the bridge had remained unrepaired despite repeated appeals by the community’s council of chiefs.

“Since the collapse of the bridge on October 15 last year, nothing has been done to reconstruct it.

“Although the companies promised to rebuild the bridge last December, they are yet to fulfil that commitment. They now use a pontoon to cross to the other side, but do not allow community members to use it.

“Residents are forced to travel by boat and pay about N1,500 to cross the river,” Mr Timothy said.

Mr Timothy said the community’s eight-point demands included the construction of motorable roads, increased employment opportunities for Unyenge indigenes, improved conditions of service and the reconstruction of the collapsed bridge.

Others are salary reviews, implementation of environmental impact assessment recommendations, an upward review of security surveillance contracts and the rejection of plans to establish a fly camp across the bridge.

He said the demands were directed at Savannah Energy Nigeria Limited and other companies operating in the area.

Others are Tulcan Energy Resources Limited, Shimao and Jeosco, which are subcontractors working with Savannah Energy.

“We are demanding that the companies address these issues before carrying out further production activities in our community.

“We will not leave here until we see equipment brought in to begin the reconstruction of the bridge,” Mr Timothy said.

Also speaking, a community woman, Nkoyo Etim, decried lack of basic amenities and adequate employment opportunities for women and young people.

Ms Etim said that gas flaring and oil pollution had adversely affected residents’ health, water sources and agricultural activities.

“We do not have a hospital, potable water, good roads or a functional market.

”Residents have raised concerns about respiratory illnesses, which we believe oil pollution has affected our sources of drinking water and reduced crop yields.

“Since the bridge collapsed, movement has become difficult and expensive. We used to cross freely to the other side of Unyenge, but residents now have to pay to travel there by boat,” Ms Etim said.

She said local women were previously engaged in vegetation-clearing work around the companies’ fly camp but were no longer given such opportunities.

Speaking on behalf of the Village Council, Godwin Matthew said the Unyenge people had suffered deprivation, neglect and abandonment over the years.

Mr Matthew called on oil companies operating in the area to construct the access road leading to the community where they drilled oil and gas daily.

He urged the companies to address the community’s infrastructure, environmental and welfare concerns and engage more meaningfully with residents.

Attempts to reach the community manager, Arit Bassey, for comment were unsuccessful. Her phone went unanswered, and she had not responded to text messages at the time this report was filed.

(NAN)