The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to immediately undertake new water projects in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, citing the city’s rapidly growing population and worsening access to potable water.
The appeal was made during Talk of the Town, a Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt programme, featuring MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn; Chairman of Buguma, Mark Ojuka; and Chairman of MOSIEND Obuama, Hon. Sandra Owunari. The programme was monitored by our correspondent.
MOSIEND said the current water supply infrastructure in Buguma is insufficient for the city’s expanding population and urged the NDDC and the Asari-Toru Local Government Council to prioritise these projects as a matter of public welfare.
The group also renewed calls to the Rivers State Government to revive the moribund Buguma Fish Farm, noting that its restoration could unlock substantial job opportunities for young people and reduce restiveness in the area.
Speaking on the programme, Comrade Ojuka urged the Nigeria LNG (NLNG) to extend its social investment initiatives to Kalabari communities, including free medical outreach, scholarships for students in tertiary institutions, contract awards and skills-acquisition support for youths.
He noted that while Bonny Island enjoys robust NLNG-funded development programmes, Kalabari communities have been largely neglected.
“We need contracts, free medicals, scholarships and employment, including skills-acquisition programmes for our teeming youths,” he said.
Ojuka added that security in Buguma had improved significantly, attributing the stability to cooperation between local youths and security agencies.
“Security is very secured in Buguma Clan, and the city is peaceful and investor-friendly,” he said.
On infrastructure, Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn said Buguma and other Kalabari communities still face critical deficits, especially in electricity supply. He lamented the state of the Buguma Health Centre, describing it as “near non-functional” and unfit to serve pregnant women or the elderly.
He urged the Rivers State Government and the Buguma Local Government Chairman, Hon. William, to urgently overhaul the facility.
“Buguma is the spiritual headquarters of the Kalabari people. It deserves modern, functional infrastructure, including first-class hospitals staffed with qualified doctors and nurses,” he said.
Also speaking, Hon. Sandra Owunari raised alarm over an oil spill in Obuama, which she said destroyed farmlands, polluted rivers and contaminated the community’s only drinking-water source. She criticised the Rivers State Government for failing to provide relief materials to affected residents.
She also noted that Obuama’s customs do not permit the conferment of chieftaincy titles on women, maintaining that such honours remain reserved exclusively for men.
MOSIEND urged government at all levels, oil companies and key stakeholders to scale up development interventions across Kalabari communities, stressing that improved infrastructure, healthcare, water supply and economic opportunities remain urgent priorities.
