ANAMBRA AGRARIAN COMMUNITY BEGS FOR GOVT ATTENTION
REPORTER: IFEANYI CHINWUKO
The people of Omor in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State have appealed to the Governor Soludo led administraion to provide them with necessary basic amenities.
They made the appeal during a press briefing, tagged, “Omor in Focus” held at the palace of the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Chris Chidume, which was part of activities slated to bring attention of government to the plights of Omor people.
Omor, which is on the shores of Omambala River, is one of the eight towns that make up Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The town, which is endowed with fertile land, is said to be the food basket of Anambra state, as almost all of its indigenes engage in farming activities including maize, cassava, yam and rice production, which are done in commercial quantity.
However, the people of Omor lack government presence as most infrastructural facilities in the town are done through community based efforts.
Speaking on the development, one of the community leaders, who participated actively in laying the foundation for infrastructural development in the area and former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Retired Justice Paul Obidigwe, commended the age-long think-home mentality of Omor people.
This, he said, had ensured availability of electricity, road, health center, post office, school, they enjoy so far.
Chief Paul Obidigwe lauded the establishment of Lower Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority, which has remained beneficial to the agricultural productivity of Omor people.
Another community leader, Dr. Peter Chiamogwu, commended the Professor Chukwuma Soludo led administration for awarding the construction of Amansea-Awba-Ofemili, Umolum-Omor Road, which terminated at Omor town, as it would ease movement of farm produce from the town to other neighboring communities.
Dr. Chiamogwu, while arguing that more access roads were needed in the area, urged the government to provide the town with steady public power supply to boost cottage industries scattered across the community.
Dr. Chiamogwu further called on the Anambra State Government to consider establishing a College of Agriculture in Omor, being an agrarian community where farmers could be trained on best and modern agricultural techniques and practices, in order to boost food production.
Earlier, the traditional ruler of Omor, Igwe Chris Chidume, decried the absence of good healthcare facility in the town and appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to establish a General Hospital in the area as community self help was not enough to address the health needs of the people.
The traditional ruler further appealed to both federal and state governments to look for permanent solution to yearly flooding of the area, which had continued to cause so much pain to Omor people and other riverine communities.
Igwe Chidume expressed the hope that, if well supported by the government, farm produce from Omor town could add greatly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Anambra State and the country at large.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
