By Oloko Reginald
For decades, the story of the Niger Delta has been one of agonising irony—where the bird that lays the golden eggs is left to die in penury; where the land that feeds the nation is left to starve. In Imo State, no area embodies this painful paradox more starkly than Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area.
As a premier oil- and gas-producing hub, holding some of the largest gas deposits in West Africa, and as the ancestral landlords hosting Adapalm Nigeria Limited, the area should theoretically be the crown jewel of the state’s economic development.
However, successive administrations before the present government had, in their own ways, attempted to turn around the fortunes of the people. During those administrations, not only was Adapalm Plantation rebranded and efforts made to improve its productivity, but key government appointments were also made from the area, while projects such as roads and electricity were pursued in the locality.
But throughout the eight-year administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma, local community leaders and residents argue that Ohaji/Egbema has been systematically marginalised, suffering from severe infrastructure deficits, environmental degradation and an alarming security vacuum.
Ohaji/Egbema is not merely an “oil-producing community.” It is a significant part of the socioeconomic engine of Imo State. The sprawling Adapalm Plantation, which occupies over 4,000 hectares of local land, was envisioned to drive agricultural industrialisation and bring sustainable economic development to its host communities.
Alongside major multinational energy companies extracting crude oil and natural gas daily, the region contributes significantly to the state’s economy through oil-related activities and other economic activities.
Yet, indigenes contend that they have been reduced to onlookers in the exploitation of their own resources. While the state government frequently highlights the financial revival and daily production capacity of Adapalm, residents insist that the economic benefits rarely translate into meaningful development for the host communities.
The core grievances of the Ohaji/Egbema people centre on what they describe as a profound lack of basic public infrastructure.
Major roads connecting agrarian and oil-producing communities—such as the road passing through the Imo Palm Plantation (Adapalm) to Owerri—are heavily dilapidated. Local farmers are often left stranded, unable to transport their produce to urban markets, resulting in significant economic losses. Youths from the area have repeatedly protested the condition of the road, with residents claiming that their concerns have received little tangible response.
Despite hosting major energy facilities and the Egbema Power Plant, several autonomous communities, including Umukene, Umuagwo, Obitti, Awara, Umuapu, Obiakpu and Obokofia, among others, reportedly live without reliable electricity.
Residents say electricity supply remains either non-existent or highly epileptic, crippling local businesses and artisans. Even the much-talked-about Orashi electricity project remains elusive to many residents.
While the administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma has showcased major urban projects, including flyovers, streetlights, renovated roads and digital hubs in other parts of the state, communities in Ohaji/Egbema point to what they describe as a distinct absence of major state-sponsored schools, modern healthcare facilities and adequate clean-water infrastructure.
Compounding the lack of physical development, community groups have also raised concerns about what they describe as political exclusion.
It beats the imagination of many residents that, according to their claims, no indigene of Ohaji/Egbema was appointed a commissioner or given a similarly prominent political appointment during the administration.
A central point of contention has been the alleged failure to appoint indigenous sons and daughters to strategic statutory positions, particularly the absence of commissioner-level representation from the area in the state cabinet over prolonged periods.
Residents argue that the perceived lack of executive political representation has deprived the area of a stronger voice in decisions concerning budgetary allocations and development priorities.
Where state infrastructure is absent, environmental and social crises have increasingly filled the void.
Decades of intensive oil exploration have left parts of Ohaji/Egbema facing serious environmental challenges. Gas flaring, oil spills and concerns over contaminated water sources have adversely affected the livelihoods of residents who depend largely on farming and fishing.
Furthermore, this combination of economic hardship, environmental degradation and youth unemployment has contributed to insecurity in parts of the area. Cultism, oil bunkering, youth restiveness and other forms of criminality have disrupted the peace in communities such as Abacheke and Awara.
Rather than addressing what residents consider the root socioeconomic causes of these challenges, community members argue that the government’s response has relied heavily on military and police operations, which they claim have, in some instances, been accompanied by allegations of human rights abuses and community intimidation.
Ohaji/Egbema, residents insist, cannot continue to be treated merely as an economic extraction area.
The area’s continued state of underdevelopment, they argue, poses a serious threat to its future. For Imo State to achieve genuine and sustainable development under any administration, the government must recognise that the people who host Adapalm and contribute substantially to the state’s oil wealth deserve more than minimal benefits.
Ohaji/Egbema requires urgent intervention in critical areas, including functional roads, reliable electricity, adequate political representation, improved healthcare and education, and comprehensive measures to address environmental degradation.
The people of Ohaji/Egbema deserve development that reflects the economic importance of their land and resources.
Oloko Reginald writes from Owerri.
