The newly inaugurated Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ANOH-GAS Processing Company Limited Host Community Development Trust (HCDT), Engr. Gideon Ikechukwu Nwaeze, has called on youths in oil-producing communities of Ohaji/Egbema in Imo State to abandon violence and work with authorities to attract development to their communities.
Speaking to journalists in Owerri shortly after his inauguration on Friday, Nwaeze stressed that lasting development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and stability.
He warned that insecurity and unrest discourage investment, noting that no serious investor would be willing to establish projects in communities plagued by violence and uncertainty.
“No matter how we cooperate, there is need for them to drop arms, because no investor would like to come to a troubled community for any kind of investment,” he said.
The ANOH-GAS Trust chairman expressed confidence that insecurity would not hinder the progress of ongoing projects in the Assa Court Area if all stakeholders, including youths and community groups, are carried along in decision-making processes.
According to him, exclusion and neglect often fuel unrest, adding that meaningful engagement remains the best way to build trust and secure cooperation from community members.
“Insecurity would not be our challenge. It’s only when you neglect people that you begin to see them behave differently. Those people that are there have listening ears. I have worked with them, I have talked to them,” Nwaeze stated.
Drawing from his previous experience working on pipeline projects with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), he pledged to maintain transparency and open communication with host communities.
He explained that all stakeholders would be actively involved in identifying and selecting development projects, stressing that communities themselves would determine how available funds are utilized.
“The power lies in their hands to decide what the money will be used for. Our responsibility is to ensure transparency and prevent any individual or group from hijacking the process,” he said.
Nwaeze also identified rural electrification as one of his immediate priorities, revealing that work is already ongoing in the Assa Court Area.
He disclosed that more than ₦50 million has already been invested in the electrification project and assured residents that efforts would continue until completion.
The ANOH-GAS Processing Company project is one of the major energy investments in Imo State, with expectations that its Host Community Development Trust will drive infrastructure, economic empowerment and social development across affected communities.
