Counsel to Forte Oil, one of the leading oil marketing companies in Nigeria, Barrister Nnadozie Okpokiri, has stated he would bring his legal experience in oil and gas issues to positively influence the wellbeing of oil bearing communities in Nigeria.
He said oil producing communities in Nigeria have common challenges of environmental degradation and deprivation of basic social amenities by the different tiers of government, and need to work together to explore all available legal options to ensure that they enjoy dividends of democracy.
Nnadozie, who is the candidate of the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, said the time has come for oil communities to recognise the fact that oil will finish one day and that proper planning and investment now, while oil is still available and remains a useful source of energy, would sustain generations to come.
In an exclusive interview with Newsportal in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Okpokiri assured his Constituency that he would protect all interests of Ukwa if voted into the green chambers in 2023.
He said the conditions in oil bearing communities require experienced lawmakers with national and international legal expertise to represent the communities effectively in the National Assembly.
Okpokiri said the oil producing areas were not supposed to be experiencing the neglect they were going through.
According to him:
“The worst hit are the oil producing communities of Abia, Imo and Ondo States, and it is a strange coincidence that they are all suffering neglect by the government. I think these three States need to work together to look into the causes of their deprivations.
“It will be one of my targets to liaise with the lawmakers of these areas at the National Assembly to produce a synergy that will serve as a template for us to deal with our common challenges”
