Ihiala Community sends SOS to Obiano says they have been abandoned

Barely 17 years after late Chief Victor Nnamdi Okafor, alias Ezego 1 (King of Money) of Ihiala, died in a controversial auto crash on his way to his ancestral home in Uzoakwa, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, his kinsmen have continued to decry the decrepit state of infrastructures which Ezego provided in the community.

The community alleged that since the demise of their son, who was known for his philanthropic gestures in 1998, some of his philanthropic gestures, among which were the construction of inter-connecting roads in the communities among others, several administrations have continued to neglect them.

They stated that this was visible in the abandonment of the only access road which links their community to the ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri express way.

According to them, the rehabilitation of the road commenced in 2013, at the twilight of the administration of the state’s immediate-past Governor, Peter Obi before it was abandoned half-way.

They have thus called on Governor Obiano to urgently come to their rescue by completing the project before the next rainy season.

When South East Voice visited the community, it was discovered that the contractor, handling the project had rehabilitated the Ezego Junction stretch of the road, but stopped work near the community’s popular Uzo-Igwe market.

It was also observed that the flowers and street lights which the late Ezego provided when the road was first constructed had been vandalised, as the dark nature of the road especially at nights sends shivers down the spines of first-time visitors to the community. This is even as it was gathered that the Project Description Boards, PDBs, earlier mounted at strategic sections of the road, had been uprooted.

Residents who spoke to South East Voice said the abandonment of the road had aggravated the erosion and flood menace on the Ose-Akwa section of the road.

Even the popular entrance to the once beautiful Ezego Crescent has lost its glory, as the heavenly trees and flowers that used to welcome visitors are now withered.

Apart from this, Ezego’s magnificent country home, is decrepit just as some parts of the glass house have started falling off.

The uncompleted duplexes inside the compound are still at the same level he left them.

Speaking to South East Voice, a resident Sabestine Chime, said the abandonment of the road showed the level of marginalisation the community had been subjected to by several administrations of the state since the demise of their son.

Chime said: “The rehabilitation of this road to me was politically motivated. It was during the end of Governor Peter Obi’s administration, that he promised to fix this road for us, prompting us to vote for his anointed candidate,Obiano.

“Given what our people had suffered owing to erosion menace, our community leaders assured him (Obi) of our support, so that was how the rehabilitation of the road started. But shockingly, the job was abandoned half-way in January 2014, and since then, we have not seen them on site.

“This situation gives us much worry, because Peter Obi who gave the contract has left the reins of power, so it behoves on the incumbent Governor Obiano to come to our rescue by completing the project.”

Similarly, Chief Hyacinth Nzomiwu, who also, lamented the situation said: “It will be a betrayal on our people, if Obiano continues to abandon the road this year. We assured his predecessor, Peter Obi of our full support for him (Obiano), which we fulfilled at the election that brought him in. So, we expect him to do for us, what he is currently doing for his Aguleri people and other nearby communities in his ancestral home.”

Written by Ikenna Asomba