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Tag: COMMUNITY

  • Agony of an eroded community

    Agony of an eroded community

    In the vicinity of the university town Nsukka lies Onuiyi, a community where an unchecked gully torments helpless residents. JAMES OJO reports.

    ‘I think Governor Ugwuanyi will do the job because since he assumed office, I have seen some white men coming around to survey the area…He went around surveying the current state of the gully. So we are hoping that he would do something during his own time as the governor’

    Whenever there is a heavy downpour residents like Ejiofor Omeke fear the worst and hope for the best. On November 29, 2016, Omeke set up his welding shop in Onuiyi in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. A few months later he started regretting his decision. Why? Onuiyi lies lower than its popular neighbour which hosts University of Nigeria. When it rains, the water washes down from Nsukka to Onuiyi, sometimes flooding homes.

    “Many people have been telling me that when rain starts, the gully beside my shop is often flooded,” he said, his voice quivering. “I am sacred. I have fears because I keep my working equipment here (inside the shop). I don’t know how the rain would flow. I am afraid I would come here one day and see everything has been washed away.”

    Like Ejiofor, many residents of Onuiyi are also living in fear. A gully left unchecked has become a very deep ravine conveying a huge amount of rainwater that swamps everyone.

    How it began

    Mr. Louis Ogbonna, a landlord in the area, narrated how the menace started. “In the 1980s,” he said, “some people started building on the waterways, thereby blocking the flow of water through its normal route, and diverted the flow of all the water from Nsukka town to this side. From there, this gully started getting deeper and deeper. Before, the gutter was not up to six feet, but now, the gully can swallow a tall palm tree and it’s still getting deeper and deeper.”

    A community leader, Elder Frank Ogbonna said, “All the gutters in Nsukka are directed here and as soon as they reach here, many houses would be flooded. All of the water flowing from Nsukka town through the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) flows through here, thereby constituting flood disaster.”  

    At death’s mercy

    It was gathered that some people who were not aware of the depth of the gully when it rained have drowned in it. Describing the ordeals residents go through during raining seasons, Mr. Ogbonna said, “It is always dreadful during rainy seasons, especially when there is a heavy downpour. I think three persons have drowned in the flood recently. “Sometimes, the people living along the gully sides do not sleep at night, especially during the rainy season because of the fear of water seeping into their homes.”

    On his part, Elder Ogbonna noted that “At times, water would sack all the occupants of this compound but I am always lucky that it doesn’t enter my room. The whole compound would be flooded.”

    While also narrating his experience, a resident of the community, who identified himself as Charles Emengini, said: “I have stayed here up to five years. When I packed in here, the gully was small but it has now got to this extent. This shows that the thing is deteriorating every year. During rainy seasons, the kind of flood that passes through here is unbearable. It enters people’s rooms.

    “Normally, when the gully gets filled up, it will divert and start entering our compound. If you are not careful, it will enter all the rooms. I think this is a serious issue that government has to do something. It is a threat to humanity.

    Also speaking, another resident of the community, Mrs Patience Ibe, said: “The gully is encroaching into the houses. It is very risky. Before, this road was passable, but now it is not. Some people who think the gully is not deep have drowned during the rainy season.”

    When our correspondent visited the gully, heaps of refuse were seen inside, thereby blocking the passage of water. The dump, when burnt, often oozes out a putrid smell posing health hazard to residents.

    Effect on the local economy

    Apart from being a source of threat to the people of Onuiyi and neighbouring communities, the flood often cripples economic activities in the area during rainy seasons. A resident of the community, who simply identified himself as Sando, explained that many have vacated the area as a result of the ravaging effects of the flood on their business during rainy season.

    “The flood has affected the community economically. This place (referring to a segment of the community) was formerly a business hub but because of the flood, many have deserted the place.”

    Sando explained further that the flood has affected the major road linking the community with other places. He continued: “As you know that road is one of the greatest assets in doing business. When road network is cut out, business activities will definitely collapse. So the flood here is not only a threat to their businesses but also a threat to their lives. It has affected the people economically. The nature of the gully now is very devastating. So many people are worried. It is not only a distraction to their business activities but a threat to their livelihood. The state of the gully needs urgent attention. I learnt that why it has not been attended to is because of the so-called “federal-projects”. Some people see it as solely a federal government affair and I don’t think the federal government is aware it. I don’t think it directly affects the federal government.”

    Unfulfilled government’s

    promises

    Elder Ogbonna said they have sent countless SOS messages to several governments in the past but nothing concrete ever happened.

    He said: “I wrote a lot of petitions and they were answered. It was gazetted by the government and it was named “Onuiyi Water Disaster”. But since then we have been doing everything possible to stop the flood, but it hasn’t stopped. I wrote to the past state governments on the state of the gully to the government and the government actually took action to help us but all the efforts were just a waste.

    Another resident blamed past governments for the deepening gully, pointing out that had it been given the needed attention, the situation would not have worsened.

    He said, “Around 1997, the then Nsukka local government chairman came here and saw everything himself. By that time, it was not as deep like that and we were hoping that he would do something but he did nothing and the gutter kept deepening more and more, till it got to this state.

    “Our community elder, Frank Ogbonna has been writing to the local and state governments about the state of the gully. I don’t really know if he has written to the federal government about the issue.

    “So we have been writing since then, but nothing has been done. Past governors have come and gone without doing anything. Like I said, we have been writing and writing. It’s not that there is no ample information or awareness created about the situation. Now, I don’t even know if the community or Local Government can do anything because the state of the gully has worsened. I think only the federal or state government can do something there now, because it is worsening more and more.”

    It was gathered that many government agencies have visited the community to inspect the gully but nothing has been heard after. Speaking on this, Emengini noted: “A lot of government parastatals have been coming but nothing has been done.”

    Great expectations

    Residents of the community expressed optimism that with the chain of infrastructural projects, especially roads, which the state governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is executing, perhaps there is hope for Onuiyi. Ugwuanyi is said to have visited the area.

    “I think Governor Ugwuanyi would do the job, because since he assumed office, I have seen some white men coming around to survey the area.”

    Similarly, Mr. Ognonna said: “Well, we heard that the present governor has visited the site once since he assumed office. He went around surveying the current state of the gully. So we are hoping that he would do something during his own time as the governor.”

    Ejiofor said: “We are expecting the current governor to come to our aid. When he (Governor Ugwuanyi) came around at a certain time, he asked me how many people have been coming here and I told him that most times, I tried to drive people away with stone, because I have been seeing many people coming here measuring, videoing, yet nothing is being done. As one person is leaving, another is coming without anything to show for it.”

  • Bridge Ugwuanyi built thrills community

    Bridge Ugwuanyi built thrills community

    Like every other headquarters of a council, Amagunze offers a realistic glimpse of life in Nkanu East, one of the 17 local government areas in Enugu State. Indeed, you actually don’t have to speak to residents to deduce that life here is anything but wholesome. Although a largely agrarian community with vast tracts of arable land, harvest time is seldom ever bountiful for the many small-holder farmers here. It is, rather, a particularly harrowing time – no thanks to floods from the Inyaba River.

    When the river overflows, as is often the case when it rains, crops and entire farmlands are destroyed. Also, residents of the over 10 communities on the northern fringe of the river become literally cut off from their kith and kin because the makeshift wooden gangway linking them is swept away as well by the river’s swift waters. Worse still, the severe floods often hamper the daily commute of students who typically fall behind their peers in examinations which determine promotion to higher classes.

    But it’s not that locals fare any better in the dry season particularly with regard to moving their farm produce to the market. That is because vehicles simply can’t drive across the improvised structure.

    This has been the situation for decades – a situation so sad that locals seeking to visit their council headquarters located roughly 800 meters away often had to embark on a rather circuitous journey that took them through the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway across two local government areas. There are, in fact, some communities on whose land a vehicle has never ever driven and it’s commonplace seeing women in labour being transported to clinics in wheelbarrows. While such Stone Age scenarios may seem like mere exaggeration in a modern era, they nonetheless underline the degree of lack that a people may experience when literally cut from the rest of civilization.

    The road to redemption began shortly after the inauguration of the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration. Once he was sworn in, the governor embarked on an assessment tour of all the local government areas. It emerged from the tour that Nkanu East was the least developed council in terms of infrastructural development. Irked by the deplorable state of affairs, Governor Ugwuanyi announced the immediate award of contract for the construction of the bridge across the Inyaba River during his visit to Nkanu East to establish the sorely needed access road for villages such as Amechi Idodo, Amankanu and Ohwo.

    The focus on rural communities is consistent with a vision the governor had outlined in his inaugural speech. “Enugu State under us will pay special attention to rural development because majority of our people live in the rural areas. We will create more urban areas to boost economic growth… Giving attention to these places will speed up urban development, create fresh economic opportunities and reduce pressure on Enugu metropolis.”

    So, to the governor, the situation in communities contiguous to the Inyaba River was an expedient one for which no bureaucracy will be tolerated. So, it wasn’t long before contractors were mobilized to site, a huge contrast to past experiences when campaign rhetoric was hardly ever matched with the requisite action. The council chair, Mr. Ikechukwu Ubagu, noted that the governor would not have known the sort of grim situation faced by locals barring his visit to their community. “He walked on this wooden makeshift bridge,” Ubagu recalled, “and decided to come to our aid. This is like a rescue mission for Amagunze and Amechi Idodo communities.”

    The resident engineer from Enugu State’s works ministry, Mr. Christian Ovute, recounts the experience he met on ground: ”The experience could best be described as disastrous. For the villagers, once it rains heavily they cannot access the market at the other side of the bridge. I have experienced one rainy season here. For three months, this place was not accessible due to flooding.

    “This river has split the local government into two. People coming from Amechi Idodo and beyond cannot access their secretariat which is just a stone throw from across the river. They go round Enugu Four-Corner through Agbani before they can get to the secretariat. But with what we are putting on ground, 2016 will be the last such experience they would ever have. These bridges will solve the problem of containing the water, and then allowing traffic and humans to pass through them.”

    Indeed, the plaudits for Governor Ugwuanyi have not ceased since construction of the bridges began. ”We pray God to protect Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for us so that this project and other projects across the state will be completed successfully,” Maureen Nweke from Ozama Agu, one of the communities that bore the heaviest brunt when it rains. ”We are grateful to God for sending us a saviour in the person of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State. We pray God to prosper him in all his endeavours. God will shield his family from the eyes of the wicked ones.”

    Expectedly, the villagers are looking towards the future with optimism. With the new project, locals can easily get to their local government secretariat in less than 20 minutes, a journey that took them over two hours when the construction was not in place. The sheer scale of the project and its significance to these communities could be glimpsed further in an encounter recalled by Kenechukwu Ozor, project manager to the contractors handling the project. “One of the villagers told me that even if the governor does nothing else in Amagunze after this project he would always remain grateful to him,” he said.

    Such is the excitement in communities contiguous to the river that an indigene and businessman resident in Onitsha had to drive down from the bustling commercial city, located some 90 kilometres away, to simply experience the thrill of a concrete bridge in his hometown. “It was always an unusual experience for me; you can imagine having a car and being unable to drive to your country home. I can’t believe this is happening in my lifetime,” he said, beaming as he took in the sights of Inyaba’s leafy surroundings.

    But there is yet another reason to applaud Ugwuanyi soon. The council headquarters is beneficiary of a road project which emerged out of the governor’s determination to spur socio-economic activities in rural communities and reduce the pressure on Enugu metropolis. That vision resulted in the simultaneous flag-off of 35 projects across the state’s 17 LGAs, late last year. The road rehabilitation will commence from Nkerefi and cut through Nara and Ugbawka – villages whose roads have long been in deplorable state despite their status as major hubs for rice cultivation – towards Amagunze which reputedly had the unenviable tag as the only headquarters of a local government area in Enugu State without a well paved access road.

    Their completion will bring to an end the embarrassment of always having a smear of red dust for the locals and passengers who commute regularly via that route. So, as the Ugwuanyi administration commemorates its two years in office, there is certainly a lot to cheer about in Nkanu East.

    • Ani, a former Editor of ThisDay, The Saturday Newspaper, and later Saturday Telegraph, writes from Enugu. Follow him on Twitter on @AniLaurence and laurenceani.blogspot.com.
  • Lagos at 50: Igbo Community holds solidarity session

    Lagos at 50: Igbo Community holds solidarity session

    The Igbo Community in Lagos State will hold a solidarity session on Sunday, May 28 in commemoration of 50 years of creation of Lagos State. The event will take place at Cinema Hall 1 of the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu Lagos at 12 noon.

    At a press conference jointly addressed by Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State, Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu (JP) and the member representing Oshodi/Isolo State Constituency 11 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. (Sir) Jude Emeka Idimogu (KSM) on Sunday at the Lagos State Igbo Community Centre on how Ndigbo are preparing for the solidarity celebration, Eze Nwachukwu said: “The event will serve as a platform for the Igbo Community in Lagos State to bring to the fore the immense achievements and contributions of Ndigbo to the development of Lagos State.

    “For the Igbo Community in Lagos that cuts across the Igbo-speaking peoples of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta, Imo and Rivers states, the celebration of 50 years of the creation of Lagos State is a moment of truth. This is the finest hour to demonstrate Igbo solidarity with the government and people of Lagos State.”

    “It is also what inspires publishing the book, Ndigbo: A Factor in Lagos State Development; a synopsis of individual and corporate roles of Nigerians of Igbo extraction in shaping what is today known as the Centre of Excellence by one of the Igbo scholars, Chief Geoffrey Umeh.”

    Eze Nwachukwu revealed that awards would be given to some Ndigbo who have distinguished themselves in their various professions and who have contributed to the growth and development of Lagos State.

    “The Igbo Community in Lagos will honour those who have attained greatness; whether dead or alive. It is incontrovertible that there are some Igbo men and women whose achievements and contributions made Lagos become a model city,” Eze Nwachukwu said.

    Speaking glowingly about the achievements of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Eze Nwachukwu noted that “Ambode’s development strides since he assumed office have been tremendous. He has made development get to the grassroots.

    “The Igbo Community in Lagos State under my leadership congratulates him on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Lagos State. Ndigbo in Lagos are happy to identify with him and the entire people of Lagos State.

    “The relationship built over the years by our forebears over five decades ago is worthy of celebration. We thank Governor Ambode under whose administration the state is celebrating its Golden Jubilee.”

    He appealed to Ndigbo at home and in the Diaspora to turn out in large numbers to be part of the celebrations.

    He disclosed that a book entitled Ndigbo: A Factor in Lagos State Development has been written in an attempt to showcase how the Igbo Community in Lagos State that comprises Igbo-speaking states of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta, Imo and Rivers states have immensely impacted positively on the economy and development of the most populated Black City in the World, adding that it symbolises Igbo solidarity with Lagos State Golden Jubilee anniversary celebration.

    “The book chronicles the existing affable relationship among the Igbo and Yoruba as well as the contributions of Igbo sons and daughters to the development of the state in the past 50 years,” Eze Nwachukwu said.

    Commenting on the essence of the event, Hon. Idimogu stated that Ndigbo in Lagos are known for their enterprise and hard work, even as he said their cosmopolitan nature gives them an edge over others in areas of adventure and investment.

    “The Igbo race has invested so much in Lagos State. In terms of population, they are the most populous ethnic group residing in the state. The essence of our celebration is to wish the government and people of Lagos State well. We are happy with them for attaining 50 years as a geographical entity. We also wish to show our solidarity with them for being good hosts.

    “Again, we want to appreciate Igbo men and women who are enthusiastic about Igboism as a movement. We are optimistic that the event will bring about unity among the Igbo. The ideology that Igbo have no king is never realistic because leadership is critical to development.

    “The Southwest states have Obas who direct the affairs of the people and that is why Southwest states have recorded tremendous development. By the time we succeed in this project, we would have blazed the trail and other states will want to emulate what the Igbo had done,” he said.

    The lawmaker revealed that the Igbo do not consider being away from their ancestral homes before they invest in areas outside their homelands because they consider every part of the country they find themselves in as their homes.

    This is why, he said, the first set of Igbo men and women that resided in Lagos over 50 years ago such as Sir Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu, among others, who was considered as the richest man in Africa during his time did business and invested heavily in Lagos, thereby contributing to its development.

    Hon. Idimogu noted that since Lagos became a geographical entity 50 years ago following its creation as a state in 1967, the Igbo have become instrumental to the development of what is now the Centre of Excellence. He expressed the necessity to celebrate those who had been immensely involved in moving the state to the current level of advancement.

    Noting that “the celebrations would be a showcase for bringing the positive contributions of Ndigbo to the growth and development of Lagos State to the front burner,” he emphasised the need for the Igbo who are critical stakeholders in Lagos affairs, to demonstrate their support to the Lagos State government and its people in celebrating 50 years of the creation of the state.

    The event, which will hold at Cinema Hall 1, National Arts Theatre, Iganmu Lagos at 12 noon prompt will have in attendance the five Southeast governors of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, former Lagos State governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Henry Ajomale and some Senators from the Southwest among others.

  • Community seeks vocational centre

    Chairperson of Shomolu Community Development Committee, Chief (Mrs) Modupe  Oluwole has urged Lagos State government to address youth restiveness in the area by providing vocational training centre for the community.

    Addressing reporters at a conference, she said Shomolu community was in high spirit to be part of the celebration of Lagos at 50, noting that Nigerians across ethnic nationalities have one success story to point to for being the Centre of Excellence.

    She said Shomolu as a community had made quantum leap in areas of infrastructure, education and health. The community leader called on government to address youth unemployment by providing a centre where they could acquire skills.

    Oluwole said: “For us in Shomolu community, we are very grateful to the Lagos State government for impacting on our community in infrastructure, health, education and security.

    “Some of the Lagos success story in the past 50 years in our community is to transform this former swamp to a community where people live to earn decent living. Today, we have Angus Memorial College, Ola Olu Primary School, Anifowoshe Road, Okunsuna Road and Abiodun Road, among others.

    “As an indigene and High Chief in Ondo Kingdom, Lagos has been part of my success story, it is indeed the land of opportunities. While we appreciate Governor Ambode for what his administration is doing, we would seek his help further for our community be given vocation training centre to mark the 50 years of the creation of Lagos State as a geographical entity.”

    She maintained that whatever is holding Lagos from being given special status could not be justified in view of its contributions to Nigerian economy.

    A member representing Shomolu State Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Olowo advised the people to be law-abiding, stressing that government would not abandon its duty to make Lagos better.

    He added that government places high premium on the security of lives and property, noting that he would do everything possible to ensure that projects yet to be completed in Shomolu are completed.

  • Italian court intervenes in Bayelsa community’s,oil giant’s dispute

    Italian court intervenes in Bayelsa community’s,oil giant’s dispute

    Friends of the Earth Nigeria and Friends of the Earth Europe have teamed up with a Bayelsa State community, Ikebiri, to drag oil giant ENI before a court in in Milan, Italy, over the pollution of their environment, writes PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA.

    ‘It is frustrating to learn that AGIP accepts responsibility for the Spill but without liability to clean up and pay adequate compensation. The tactics of underestimating spills to reduce damage has been challenged by this historic court case’

    Ikebiri is a community in Bayelsa State. It is made up of several villages. Its main economic activities include palm-wine tapping, canoe carving, fishing, farming, animal trapping and traditional medical practices.

    Its story took a sad turn on April 5, 2010. No thanks to the bursting of an oil pipeline operated by oil giant ENI’s Nigerian operation, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC). It burst 250 metres from a creek north of Ikebiri. The spill affected the creek, fishing ponds and trees essential to the local community. It badly damaged the livelihoods of the community.

    Six days after the spill, a joint inspection visit led by NAOC cited “equipment failure” as the cause of the spill.

    The oil giant operates seven wells and eight pipe lines with several flow lines in the area. The leak was closed, and the surrounding polluted area of bush was burnt without the consent of the community. This was a process far below international standard.

    The community approached NAOC/ENI for emergency relief materials and compensation. On April 5, the oil giant released N2 million to the community and on April 18, it added €10,034 for relief materials. As compensation, it offered N4.5 million, which was rejected by the community. The community wants N31.5 million.

    A resident, Emilia Matthew, said: “I am sick and we don’t know what to resort to when experiencing illness. Fishing, which has been our means of livelihood, is now threatened; it is no longer productive due to the river being polluted by oil spills. The fish in our fish ponds in the swamps/bush too have all been killed by crude oil. So, we have lost our fish ponds. The vegetables we plant within the community, some of which are medicinal and we use in treating ourselves are also affected by crude oil.”

    Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Executive Director Nigeria Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, at news conference on Tuesday in Lagos, said: “It took six days for NAOC to agree to a joint inspection visit where it was concluded that “equipment failure” caused the spill. NAOC operates seven wells and eight pipelines with several flow lines in the area of Ikebiri. You will be shocked to know that after that visit the leak was closed but the surrounding polluted area of bush was set ablaze in a state of the art clean up technology often deployed by AGIP and without the consent of the local community. No other clean-up has taken place since.

    “It is frustrating to learn that AGIP accepts responsibility for the Spill but without liability to clean up and pay adequate compensation. The tactics of underestimating spills to reduce damage has been challenged by this historic court case. Though NAOC claimed the polluted area is 9 hectares and an estimated 50 barrels of oil leaked, we know from chemical analysis that the polluted area is much wider. It is at least 17.6 hectares wide, while evidence of pollution has also been found by soil sample analysis 2km downstream from the spill site.”

    Ojo added: “The monumental hurdles and the challenges of access to justice on the way of community people includes lack of access to information, high costs of legal cases, sleeping on your rights which limits period of initiating a case, and the cumbersome nature of oil spill cases against transnational companies that could take a lifetime. These impediments on the way of local people to seek access to environmental justice persists hence this court case to serve as deterrent. In the Niger Delta, there are potentially over 1000 cases against oil companies arising from negligence and nuisance from their oil operations. In the case of Ikebiri, AGIP/ENI is considering as cleaned up a land that is still heavily polluted, and offering a paltry sum as compensation to externalise productions costs. The community has lived with this heart retching situation ever since.  Their plight is now the same with other communities of the Niger Delta that live with the impacts of continuous oil spills on their environment, health and livelihoods.

    “As mentioned last week when the case was instituted, the spill could have been managed and stopped from spreading to a huge expanse of the Ikebiri swampland but the nonchalant attitude of the ENI/NAOC created the current mess.”

    Friends of the Earth Europe and the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria are supporting the community’s court case against ENI.

    In the case against AGIP/ENI filed in Milan, Italy, on May 4, the plaintiffs are seeking the clean-up of their community and compensation for the pollution. The King of Ikebiri is the plaintiff, and the lawyers representing them are Luca Saltalamacchia with Chima Williams of ERA/FoE Nigeria.

    Ojo explained that “we feel this case should set the stage for others equally impacted by ENI’s operations to take their destinies in their hands and to provide deterrents to Agip/ENI and other oil companies.”

    He gave recent cases as:  Azuzuama, which happened on July 9, 2015 in which 14 persons were burnt beyond recognition along NAOC’s Tebidabe-Clough Creek pipeline, Etieama community in Nembe Local Government Area and Ayamabele/Kalaba community environment, in Okordia clan, Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

    The ERA boss went on: “This is an unprecedented case in Italy, and its success has been a product of 4 years of painstaking research and documentation and the patience of the Ikebiri people suffering this ordeal this past seven years.  We hope that this case will be successful being the first instance of an Italian company having to face justice in Italy for its actions in destroying the environment overseas. It will help end the impunity and offer hope to other communities that have suffered damages as a result of pollution from oil wells or pipelines operated by Agip/ENI or any other multinational firm operating in the Niger Delta and elsewhere.”

     

  • Anambra community protests government’s neglect

    •‘Allegations unfounded’

    Youths of Ogbunike community in Oyi Local Government of Anambra State yesterday marched on the streets to protest their alleged neglect by the government.

    According to them, the Wille Obiano-led government had neglected their basic needs, failed to fulfil its electoral promises and played the politics of exclusion.

    The protesters, under the auspices of United Ogbunike Youths Association, marched through Oye Olisa Market junction and the Awka Old road, before receding to the Ogbunike Town Hall, chanting protest songs.

    The chairman, Board of Trustees, Chibuzor Unachukwu said the protest became necessary because the Obiano-led administration had reneged on all the promises it made to the community, though his wife is an Ogbunike daughter.

    He presented an eight-point communique by the aggrieved youths, noting that the first project ever inaugurated in Ogbunike since the inception of the present administration was a toilet facility which, according to him, was sponsored by an oil mogul from Ukpo community, Dunukofia Local Government.

    Unachukwu regretted that after working for Obiano’s success and visiting him, the governor promised the urbanidation of Ogbunike community but they are filled with regret today that all the promises had not been fulfilled.

    But Obiano’s media aide Emeka Ozumba, in a statement yesterday, said there were fears that some opposition elements may have infiltrated the peaceful town of Ogbunike to instigate youths to stage the protest.

    Ozumba said the allegations had no relationship with the truth, and were obviously orchestrated to mislead and incite unsuspecting residents against Mrs. Obiano.

    The statement reads: “The wife of the governor has neither a statutory role nor financial allocation from the government. Her role as the governor’s wife has no executive powers to it. “However, to support her husband’s programmes, she set up an NGO, under whose auspices she does charitable programmes and projects, including the popular CAFÉ Housing Programme for indigent widows.”

    Ozumba said the government had executed several projects, including roads in Ogbunike, which the monarch, Igwe John Umenyiriora, even attested to.

  • Community refutes crisis ‘rumours’

    Community refutes crisis ‘rumours’

    ‘Let the truth be told, Ibeku is not for sale and the days of imposition are over forever and so anybody pushing for the recognition of any person through the backdoor other than Ukaegbu is trying to cause trouble’

    The stakeholders of Ibeku kingdom in Umuahia North council area of Abia State have denied that there is crisis in their community, urging those spreading the crisis ‘rumours’ to desist.

    Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, the state capital, the spokesman of the group, Chief Joshua Ogbonna said those behind the reports were people ostracised by Ogurube IV, Eze Samuel Onuoha for opposing him.

    Ogbonna said that the Ibeku Egu Asa Development Association (IEADA), on January 26 this year, conducted an election for the executives of the association which produced Chief Princewill Ukaegbu which did not go down well with some people.

    He said such people, 31 in number, were causing problems in the community and saying things against their revered Ogurube which led to their being cursed.

    “They have been told what to bring to appease the gods, which they have started doing,” he said.

    The Ibeku stakeholders spokesman said that what took place last week which was reported in the press, “Is those who have been ostracized after presenting materials to appease the gods which the Ogurube did for them and they are free to join IEADA”.

    Part of a statement which Ogbonna read said, “For the avoidance of doubt, there was no peace settlement meeting ever held in Ibekuland, rather what transpired was that those who were sanctioned and ostracized by the Ogurube-in-council for desecrating the land…had gone to the Ogurube to beg for pardon and appeasement of the gods of the land. Let no one be deceived as the purported peace settlement did not take place, all that transpired was a mere plea for re-admission of those who had despised the stool of Ogurube.

    “Let the truth be told, Ibeku is not for sale and the days of imposition are over forever and so anybody pushing for the recognition of any person through the backdoor other than Ukaegbu is trying to cause trouble”.

  • A community school’s many challenges

    A community school’s many challenges

    Once the pride of the community, Ede-Oballa Central School in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, has become an eyesore. Dilapidated roofs, and defaced walls have become the school’s lot. Who will restore its glory? JAMES OJO, a 400-Level and GIDEON ARINZE 300-Level Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) report.

    It was 8.am. Clad in sky-blue and black trousers/skirts – their official departmental uniform- 300 – level students’ of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) were excited as they set out to visit Ede-Oballa Central School in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    The visit was part of their requirements for the course, Development Journalism, aimed at acquainting them with practical knowledge.

    But on arriving in the school, their joy gave way to pity. Welcome to Ede-Oballa Central School.

    Pitched along the road, the school used to be a pristine destination for parents yearning for quality education for their children.The school used to have enough class rooms for its Nursery 1 to Primary 6 pupils. Being the first primary school in the community, it has produced many top-notch individuals.

    However, since its building fell years ago, the school’s problems have been compounded. It is in a sorry state with no state-of-the-art facilities.

    When the students visited the school, some of the roofs of its buildings have been blown off. The dust-spattered walls of the buildings have become weak from torrents of rain.

    The school is now using one of the remaining buildings,originally meant for pupils in the nursery, leading to congestion.

    The classrooms are partitioned. The pupils find it difficult to breathe while lessons are on due to lack of ventilation. The walls are used as blackboards; there are no tables and chairs for teachers. The teachers use the pupils’chairs.

    Also, Primary Six pupils are asked to come with their own chairs. There are no visible teaching aids like good drawings on objects. What they have are hand-written on cardboard sheets. Noise from one class filters into another during lessons, distracting the pupils and their teachers.

    The school’s fence and signboard were demolished during road construction, The school has no rest room. A part of the building needs refurbishing while another part needs to be repaired from the foundation to the roof

    The situation, it was gathered,  gets worse when it rains. Most pupils and their teachers are drenched from the leaking roofs. During dry seasons, the pupils sometimes receive lessons under mango and cashew trees in the school compound.

    Lamenting the situation, Mrs. Chinyere Asadu, who has just been  transferred to the school said teaching is more strenuous for the teachers because the classes have no boundaries.

    “If we want to make their voices audible enough as well as gain full attention of their class, the teachers have to talk at the top of their voices. Also, there is a problem of keeping the younger pupils from wandering into other classes which have no doors.”

    Mrs. Felicia Ezeugwu, the Primary Five class teacher, said the government has failed in its responsibility of providing quality education.

    She, however, promised that the teachers would continue to play their roles despite the problem.

    A Primary Six pupil, Ezeugu Samson, urged the government to intervene.

    The Headmistress, who did not want her name mentioned, said the school building was razed over seven years ago.

    On efforts to address the challenges, she said the school has written to the government, parents and some indigenous sons and daughters for support.

    Her words: “We have written to the government and there was no response. We even took snapshots of the building. I followed the letter up.

    “All we get from them is empty promises and nothing else. We have also had politicians who came here and made promises but after they left, no one heard from them anymore.”

    She added: “We are just managing the classes, because noise is usually too much. From one class, you hear what another person is saying and most times, it is usually difficult to control them.”

    Some residents of the community expressed fears that if nothing is done, it would affect the quality of education and pupils performance in examinations.

    They sought the support of the government, parents and the rich indigenes to restore the school.

  • Borehole for community market

    Borehole for community market

    As part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities, Real Drill HydroKonsult has donated a motorised borehole system to Olugbeja Community Market, through Osogbo Central Lions Club.

    Inauguration of the water project took place amidst pomp and ceremony to the delights of the market men and women who had borne the pain of water scarcity for a long time.

    At the unveiling of the water project, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Real Drill Hydrokonsult, Engineer Ajani Najeem Babatunde, said service to humanity is his watchwords. Mr Ajani also called on government at all levels to be alive to their responsibilities and give water provision a top priority because water is essential in the existence of man.

    In his opening remarks, the President of Osogbo Central Lions Club Lion H.A. Owoo highlighted the essence of Lions Club as a service club which is poised to assist humanity in all facets of life.

    While cutting the tape to inaugurate the project, the Centennial District Governor 404 B-2 Nigeria, Lion Taiwo O.S. Adewumi encouraged traders at Olugbeja Market who are the beneficiaries of the water project to take proper care of the project and always lay emphasis on service to humanity in their daily activities. He had earlier decorated Engineer Ajani Najeeem with the District Governor Centennial pin as a mark of honour and recognition of his philanthropic contributions towards helping humanity.

    To help him cut the tape were the sponsor of the project, Engineer Najeem, Alhaji Yekeen, the Babaloja of Olugbeja Market Adetoro, Mr Musiliu Omotuntun, the Iyaloja of Olugbeja Market, Osogbo, Alhaja Naimot Lawal and Lion Owoo HA, among other dignitaries.

  • Community,institution sign MoU on project

    The Akure community and the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA) Akure, the Ondo State capital, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the location of a new civic centre for the community within the premises of the institution.

    The project tagged “Akure Civic and Outreach Centre”, is being funded by the Federal Government and would be handed over to the Akure community upon completion.

    According to a statement signed by the Secretary, Civic Centre Committee (CCC), Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, the project was included in last year’s budget of the Federal Government and was facilitated by a lawmaker representing Akure South/Akure North Federal Constituency, Afe Olowookere.

    The modern Civic and Outreach Centre will be located on the western corridor of the premises of the expansive college which adjourns two major roads (the Akure-Owo highway and the Agbogbo-Okeijebu Road).

    The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, had set up a committee to secure a befitting location for the project, with the committee later recommending that particular portion of the FECA land.

    The approval of the part of the land for the project was conveyed to the school authority and the Akure community by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, (ARCN), which supervises the institution.

    Consequently, the community and the management of the school endorsed an MoU to signal the beginning of the construction of the centre.

    The Legal Adviser of the ARCN, Barrister Ibrahim Nduku, led the team of the college, while the Akure community was represented by the Chairman and Secretary of its Civic Centre Committee, Hon Patrick Ojo and Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, respectively.

    Oba Aladetoyinbo thanked the Provost of the institution, Dr. Samson Odedina, for his co-operation and support for the project and his various achievements in the college.