Walking the path of Burutu

Youths in three local government areas in Ndokwa region of Anioma (Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani Local Government Areas), Delta State, currently share not less than N20 million Naira allocation from Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) every month. I have watched with kin interest as the formula adopted for sharing this money generate controversy and bickering every time. I hear some commissioners and other political office holders from that region oversee the appropriation of this money, and I have been wondering.

This development casts my mind back many years. As a young bank worker in Burutu, headquarters of Burutu Local Government Area of then Bendel State about two decades and half ago, I witnessed this kind of scenario play out. Every month an oil giant operating in the area doled out millions to the community as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Actually, the oil company wanted to build first class hospital and schools in the community to be managed and manned by its staffers drawn from the catchment area. This was in addition to scholarship being offered to selected school children from that community who passed the eligibility examination. I thought this was a noble gesture by the oil company.

But guess what happened? The community elders would rather have the money shared among themselves. Of course the oil company released the money to them. And I watched in utter bewilderment as cheques flew into individual accounts to the detriment of the development of the community. I am talking of tens of millions of Naira at that time!

Two and half decades later, Burutu is desolate, no good school, no good hospital, no road, no potable water, no electricity and other social infrastructure. The only bank in the whole of Burutu Local Government Area then (UBA Plc) has since left Burutu and relocated to Warri when armed militancy reared its ugly head in the early 2000s. As I type away on this script I doubt there is any bank in the whole of Burutu Local Government Area.

Today, I am witnessing a similar scenario play out in Ndokwa land in our own dear Anioma! Money that should be used to develop the region is being shared to individuals in the name of empowerment. I ask myself, is this the best use that could be made of this money. I guess not.

What is clear is that unless there is a rethink about how this money is being utilized, Ndokwa is simply walking the path of Burutu.