By Anya C. Anya
A passionate and well respected son of Ukwa land Pastor Dike Nwankwo believes the administration of Ex- Abia Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu did more for Ukwa people than any other administration. In his exact words . “Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu is the only Abia State Governor who did something tangible for Ukwa people. “
Pastor Dike Nwankwo made this clarification while featuring in an AFNEWS live interactive session ” Focal point” . He said it is an understatement to state that Ukwa people are currently being marginalized because the right word to use is that ” Ukwa people have been sidelined and abandoned”.
” What is our crime ” is the question we are asking in Ukwa land, ” we have no presence of government in Ukwa land over the years due to neglect and abandonment, the old infrastructural facilities there all have failed . Our road is impassable and yet Ukwa land is the place where the oil Abia State lived on is coming from “
He narrated the unwarranted and unexplainable hardship and suffering Ukwa people go through everyday moving in and out if their community in search of what to eat because of the level of rot in the road which the state government is claiming to be a federal road . But ” why would any government allow her people to go through this challenge especially being the oil producing local government in the state “
“It is unfortunate that the obehie -Owaza- Azumuri road is in critical state right now . It was the administration of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu that last did something on that road because of his love for Ukwa people. We were using it before it became bad yet no other government has considered it essential to fix it or at least provide palliative work on it to make it usable for our people except for little intervention we had at a time from the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC”.
” The Government of Senator Theodore Ahamefula Orji for 8 years did nothing meaningful in ukwa land, the current administration has been making promises and yet no action to back it up . But Abia State wouldn’t have been getting a share of the 13% derivative except for Ukwa land and yet there is no investment in Ukwa land from a government that is benefiting much from resources endowed in our land “
When asked what ASOPADEC has done over the years to help Ukwa people, Dike Nwankwo said they have done nothing because ” it is widely believed that the road in question is federal government road . But is it not Abians that are using it . Is it not your citizens that would enjoy it the most , the Igirita road is federal government road yet The Government of River State executed the road project considering how important it was to the River state people . “
” Is it not pathetic that Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu believed the late Environment Commissioner Hon. Solomon Ogbuji is his dear friend yet should the burial be fixed now.Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu would not be able to go for the burial because the road is bad and unusable , what we are asking is simple. Assuming the Government of Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is not willing to construct the road . Then do a little palliative work on it so that at least our people can have a means to pass through to the other side of the road”
” We have not seen anything like that. Only for the government to plan relocating a cattle market causing nuisance at waterside axis of Ogborhill from ogborhill to Asa . Of what benefit is a cattle market to us when there are other project that could benefit us more awaiting government implementation”
He question whether the government understand the importance of NEEDS assessment before executing a project because Ukwa people do not need a cattle market.” We are crying of being marginalized and years of abandonment only for you to want to bring in a cattle market, what for ? , Therefore our Position is that we do not need nor want a cattle market”.
” ASOPADEC has done nothing in Ukwa land. The only thing we can attest is that the General Manager is from Ukwa land but he has no power to do anything . We are asking that if truly the Government want to do something about the plight of Ukwa people, Then let the headquarters of ASOPADEC be moved to Ukwa land from umuahia. “
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