Residents of Owa Alizomor community in Ika North East Local Government Area have decried the absence of infrastructural amenities in the community.
Speaking to Ika Weekly, a community leader in the area, Dr. Ogochukwu Ayokor stated that the area has never experienced any form of development. According to him, inspite of the community proximity to the Owa Oyibu, the local government headquarter, the area was seriously lacking government presence. "For a long time, this community has been suffering. The area is bereft of any government presence. We are suffering from lack of infrastructure in our primary and secondary schools Our community roads have been eaten up by gully erosion, water is a scare commodity as we oftentimes go to Ofie river or use our wells in individual compounds of the residents which are not safe for drinking and for domestic chores". He stated.
Speaking, further, Dr. Ayoko who is a trado-medical practitioner wondered why the government has abandoned them, after series of letters of protest presented to various levels of government and the political leaders.
On his part, Mr.. David Irabor bemoaned the unconducive atmosphere of the primary and secondary schools in the community. According to him, the primary school was so bad that one of the illustrious son of the community renovated two blocks of classroom which stopped the pupils from learning under the tree. Mr. Irabor who is the PTA chairman for the secondary school called on the government to as a matter of urgency rebuild the secondary school which is in a very bad state,."As the PTA chairman of the secondary school and also as a teacher, I am not happy with the negative attitude of government to the schools in our community. In the secondary school, we use palm fronds as ceiling board and we do not have standard laboratories for Art and Science subjects, our library is in ruin. We beg the government to help us as we are tired of waiting" he stated.
Mr. James. P. Osomule appealed to the government to provide the community with pipe borne water which he said is a major problem with the community. According to him, other communities in the local government have been provided with water. He also decried the state of their market which he said is an eye sore. "Many villages in Ika North East Local Government Area like Owa Oyibu, Owa Ekei, Owanta and Owa Alero etc have borehole but we continually wonder why the government is deliberately neglecting us. We usually vote on election days but it is painful that the officials of the government do not visit us except for electioneering campaigns" he said.
Mr. Augustine Nwose wants jobs to be provided for the teeming unemployed graduates from the area which he said are increasing day by day due to government insensitivity to the plight of the graduates. According to him, government should establish companies in strategic locations throughout the state where the graduates will be employed. "It is difficult to live in this place. Our children which we laboured to train are roaming the streets looking for elusive jobs. We are usually deceived by the politicians who always promise us good deeds but nothing happens after they are elected. We have prominent people from this community like the former Deputy Governor of the state, former DIG in the Nigeria Police Force and countless political rulers but we are still suffering" he decried.
Mr. Ikechukwu Nwachuwa condemned the government for abandoning the area, saying that the people have been deceived for a long time by politicians who usually come to campaign in the area. "Take a look at our roads, our market is in a poor state, we do not have hospital, our schools are in very terrible conditions. No pipe borne water. Residents of the community contributed resources for the community borehole that has since been abandoned due to lack of fund. We are not ready to vote in elections again since the politicians are always deceiving us. We have top politicians in power but they have all abandoned us" he lamented.
When Ika Weekly visited the secondary school in the community, the school founded in 1980 shows pictures of infrastructural decay as the classrooms lack ceiling board with school not having no standard library and, laboratories.
Leave a Reply