IMO OIL COMMUNITY LAMENTS ABSENCE OF BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE

 
REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

The people of Ilile Community in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State have appealed to the state government to rehabilitate the Umuapu- Ilile end of the road connecting the area with Obinze Community to ameliorate their sufferings.

The President General of the Community, Mr. Athanasius Nwagbara, told Radio Nigeria that aside making movement in and out of the community difficult, the area had become a safe haven for criminals, who abduct unsuspecting motorists that ply the road, especially in the evenings.

Mr. Nwagbara, expressed worry that the poor state of the umuapu-Ilile-Obinze road had worsened economic fortunes of the people, who were predominantly farmers as they found it difficult to move their produce to markets outside the area.

While lamenting high cost of transportation, Mr. Nwagbara said a journey which would have ordinarily cost two hundred naira using motorcycle, now costs about five hundred naira, adding that efforts to get the attention of the government yielded no result.

“It takes the grace of God for us to even have access to other communities through this road and that is why you see the self effort the community made because at a point we could not even access the next community.

“For you to even go outside and buy things you can sell in the community that road makes things so difficult. Mainly we use okada that is why we call on the government to assist us,” he said.

Mr. Nwagbara expressed unhappiness that despite being one of the oil bearing communities in the state, Ilile had continued to suffer lack of basic amenities.

Aside the dilapidated condition of the only road that leads to the area, which was constructed by the administration of Late Dr. Sam Mbakwe in 1983 the people do not have access to health care, portable water and electricity.

An illustrious son of the community, Prince Azubuike Ekezie, explained that absence of security agencies had given rise to use of illicit drugs in the area, stating that the only time they were remembered was during electioneering.

“You begin to wonder why could an oil community, community that produces most of the food they eat in Owerri: why is it inaccessible.

“We are not playing politics here, what we need is good governance, the little things that will not cost a sincere government anything to do,” Mr. Nwagbara complained.

An octogenarian, Elder Romanus Amadi, and a woman leader Mrs. Glory Ekezie, decried absence of health facilities in the community, noting that the situation had continued to claim the lives of pregnant women and children.

“The way Imo State Government and the Federal are treating us we don’ t appreciate it at all. We have no hospital in case anything happens, the person will stay here and die off.

“Sometimes, the mothers might fall in labour, may be during the night there is no way to go there but if we have a health center here it might be easy for us.

“Since the distance is far some mothers don’t even want to immunize their kids because they see it that the expenses is much,” they said.

A legal practitioner from the community, Mr. Ken Achonwa, said they had not seen electricity in the area for the past five years and called on the government to be alive to its responsibilities.

During a recent visit to Ilile Community, Radio Nigeria observed that leaders and youths of the area resorted to self help to clear some sections of the road that were taken over by grass.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU