The
road to Mbiri Farm Settlement, in Ika North –East Local Government
Area is no longer passable and this is militating against the
production, distribution and consumption of agricultural farm produce
from the area.
The
road was said to be motorable, not until the year 2002, when it
became very rough and till date nothing has been done to repair it.
According
to lay their our respondents, the settlers and the farmers have
severally gone to Asaba to lay they complain, which, in one of their
visits, the former S.S.G, Dr. Okowa, assured them that, the road has
been placed in the state budget, saying that work on it must be
done. In 2005, they said a similar visit was also made to Asaba and
they met with the former Deputy Governor, Benjamin Elue. Regrettably
up till now Delta State Government promise to repair the road have
not been fulfilled,” they condoned till date. One of the farm
settlers, Mr. Onwuka Pius said that when the matter became
unbearable, the Obi of Mbiri, HRH Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Alekwe, 11 (JP),
went to Asaba early this month, just to enforce their plea for a
better road.
Presently,
as gathered by Ika
Weekly,
the rainy season have added more pain to their suffering, as traders
who were suppose to come to the settlement to buy crops have no
means to do so. And in a case where some persons attempt to purchase
from the farm settlement, it is usually a problem, for the farm,
produce were priced so cheaply below the real worth.
Speaking
further, Mr. Emmanuel Agah, Secretary General, Mbiri Farm Settlement
Association, said that the climax of the whole thing is that whenever
it rained, no movement can be made, in the Settlement because flood
covers the roads. All these he said, added to the settlers
predicament they have no other means to source for their children’s
for school fees, he explained. Speaking further, he said that eggs
and other produce from the Settlement , now rot away and are
disposed, thus them to run at great loss. He continued, “traders
who came from Umunede, two weeks ago, to buy cassava, even at a
cheaper rate, found no road to go home”.
Also,
Mr. Pius Onwuka, begs government to bring them out of shame, by
helping them to tar the road, so that, the sales of agricultural
produce from the settlement will improve, and also encourage
settlers to produce more.
In
a related development Mr. Elue Donard, ex-president. Mbiri Farm
Settlement, in his words, begs the state and federal government to
come and restore the road, for they are in cage, and that, their
goods are rotting away because of the low rate of purchase.
While
Mr. Emmanuel Agah in his comment said that, they are ready to feed
the nation, only that they have no means of transportation. He
implored the Delta State Government to ensure that the road is
tarred, for they will be very grateful and willing to work harder to
the benefit of everybody.
Still
speaking on the issue, youths in the area, Onyeka Nkenchor and Mr.
December, said that for two years now, no car has been seen on the
road, which shows that they are truly suffering. And even the attempt
to use motorcycles, causes more pain, for after three months or more,
such vehicle usually breaks down.
They
however, pleaded with government at all levels to please come to
their rescue by helping to fix the only road leading to the area, so
that, the objective on which the Mbiri Farm Settlement was
established will be achieved.
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