A first time visitor to Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, South East part of Nigeria and wishing to use the Ohoba-Assa road, may have to seek the services of a canoe or boat to get to his or her destination. The long stretch road reports have it, has gulped not less than #51m can undoubtedly better serve as a ground for long distance swimming contest.
The road that serves the two agrarian communities has been overtaken by unimaginable proportion of flood occasioned by heavy downpour. The locals have been trapped and can’t move again except for those with capacity to overcome the quantum of flood on the road. Meanwhile, a whooping sum of #51m has reportedly been sunk into the project by the present administration, yet the outcome is the establishment of a mini river in place of road.
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The same scenario is witnessed in several other parts of the council. From Umuagwo- Umukene to Ethioha, the border town between Imo State and Rivers State is in a terrible state and regaling in abandonment. Any vehicle who survives in manoeuvering the murky waters and death trap pot holes identity of the major road linking the three communities would be a visitor to mechanic for repairs as only heavy duty machines can try to accelerate on the terrain. At the birth of Rochas Okorocha administration, the people of the area became victims of the phony-baloney 1,000 kilometers road project that is yet to be felt in the LGA. How a construction firm handling the project quickly abandoned the road and pulled out unannounced is puzzling even as millions were said to have been paid for the construction of the project.
And what would one say about other local roads in the LGA that are witnessing dilapidated looks now the heavens are opening daily; the Umuokanne-Umuokane – Umuagwo and the Mgbirichi-Abakuru and Umuokanne roads. Simply put, except for roads built by federal agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta because of the position of the LGA as an oil producing area, the roads in the LGA remain a disaster, no thanks to the indifference attitude of the Okorocha administration to the plight of the people of the area.
The new toga of “Government Thugs” Ohaji/Egbema youths have been branded recently by other sectors of the state may be the quo du quo of government for denying the LGA basic amenities.
Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, Ohaji/Egbema LGA as presently constituted was created by the Ibrahim B. Babangida’s administration by the August 27, 1991 presidential proclamation, carved out of the former Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta L.G.A, Ohaji/Egbema has its Headquaters at Mmahu in Egbema District and other districts Headquaters at Umuokanne, Ohaji.
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Ohaji/Egbema L.G.A lies in the south/western part of Imo State and shares common boundaries with Owerri in the East, Oguta in the North and Ogba/Egbema/Ndomi in Rivers state in the South West.
Landmass: Ohaji/Egbema covers an area of approximately 958.010spkm
Being on oil producing has attracted a good number of Oil producing and oil servicing companies such major Oil producing and servicing companies include Shell Petroleum Development company (Nig) Ltd (SPDC), Chevron Nig LTD, Nigeria Agip Oil Company LTD (NADC) and many others.
Relegation of Ohaji/Egbema LGA in the provisions of basic amenities is not limited to road construction only. The utter marginalization of the area in the act of governance warrants the call for who will really rescue the people in 2019.
Since 2011 Okorocha government came on board, the misfortune bedeviling Ohaji/Egbema has increased tremendously with a perilous dimension whereby people from the area are commonly mistaken as hired thugs by the state government for the execution of the indecent task force jobs and activities.
Ironically, agents of Okorocha in the area have been trading blames on how the #51m was spent to transform a motorable road to water pool while circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of construction firms after initial earthworks on some local roads remain a sore point in the life of the present Rescue Mission government in Imo State.
The legacies left behind by previous administrations and representatives of the LGA in government at the state level have been decimated by the present regime in alliance with their collaborators in the modern day rape of Ohaji/Egbema.
At the return of democratic rule in 1999, the Member who represented Ohaji/Egbema State Constituency, in the Imo State House of Assembly, Goddy Esom Obodo identified the need to cater for the area as an oil producing council in the state. That was the beginning of the battle for the judicious use of 13% Oil Derivation meant for the two oil producing areas of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs.
Obodo’s successor, Goodluck Nanah Opiah expedited action on proper recognition of the two oil producing councils by going further to tinker about creating an interventionist agency for the purpose. The political sagacity of Opiah ensured he sponsored a private Bill for a Law creating the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC. The history of ISOPADEC cannot be written without a space reserved for the name of the lawmaker who on a second term mandate became the Speaker of the House.
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Despite efforts made to hoodwink the people with fairy tales about activities of ISOPADEC, it has become more of a conduit pipe meant to siphon millions of funds the agency is entitled to utilize for the development of Ohaji/Egbema and sister Oguta as enshrined in the laws establishing the commission.
The implication of ISOPADEC is that the Commission is entitled to a reasonable percent of the 13% oil derivation for development of the affected areas. Such practice was only witnessed during the regime of Ikedi Ohakim when the late Nze Obi of Egbema, S N Uzor was the Chairman. Evidences of jobs and projects executed by government agency still stands as eloquent testimonies of the existence. I am aware that the about 4 kilometre Obosima -Ohuba road, Abacheke- Egbema Internal roads and the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo Ohaji internal roads were executed by the commission, without considering other minor jobs undertaking in the LGA.
To propel the pace of development in the oil producing communities, the management of ISOPADEC under Ikedi Ohakim had an arrangement with public power supply, PHCN, transformed to EEDC, to pay for electricity bills of residents of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs. The understanding lasted until Okorocha came on board and darkness set in due to the inability of his administration to continue with the arrangement. The EEDC had to remove the areas from power supply. Apart from the misfortune of power failure, the reported program of ensuring that all communities in the LGA have public power remains a ruse. Till date the communities are in darkness.
In brazen display of hatred to the people of the area, the “Almighty” ISOPADEC that had been a kind of succour to the dejected people failed to execute a noticeable project in Ohaji/Egbema land. Reports had it that governor Okorocha was quoted to have said that he had two principal projects to execute with the ISOPADEC fund for his first term; the gigantic ISOPADEC Head Office in Owerri and the now jettisoned Marine University, Osemoto, Oguta.
While one may not necessary kick against the befitting head office in Owerri, suffice it to note that the contractor wasn’t from any of the oil producing areas and the project location is in contrast to the laws establishing ISOPADEC as the main office would have been in either Ohaji/Egbema or Oguta, the two oil producing councils that necessitated creation of the agency, similar to what is obtained at the federal level where NDDC has headquarters is in Porthacourt, Rivers State, the heart of Niger Delta region.
On the other side, the Marine University remains a white elephant project as bushes have gradually taken over the location without the Okorocha administration caring a hoot that the location would be an abandoned site as he prepares to leave office in ten months time. Commentators insist the project was initiated as a systematic ploy to filter away funds from the commission’s treasury. Its impact on the people is yet to be felt. It is worthy to note that the Marine University project at Osemoto had commenced before Okorocha embarked and completed the Eastern Palm University at his Ogboko home town, its ownership is brewing controversy, the Orlu and Mbano campuses of Imo Poly, School of Nursing, Orlu,
College of Education, Ihitte Uboma and the ongoing Engineering and Agriculture campuses of the Imo State University at Ummuna Okigwe and Aboh/Ngor Okpala respectively.
Because the Marine University project is located in the oil producing area where the services of the young men would be needed to better serve as “thugs” in the act of chasing away market women from Douglas Road and other streets in Owerri Municipal, the project should be abandoned.
When people of the oil producing communities got alarmed that the acclaimed signature projects of head office for ISOPADEC and Marine University was an insidious means to insult their sensibilities, the approaching 2015 election and the governor’s need for a second term led to an arrangement where the sum of #500m being part of the ISOPADEC fund was doled out to gullible fellows under the guise of empowerment. No training of any form was organized for the beneficiaries before government considered their agents and cronies for the sharing of the #500m. Till date, government is yet to
give further details on the shambolic “empowerment scheme” as it was a sheer decoy to shut off the youths from making more inquiries about how money due to ISOPADEC from 2011 till 2014 was spent since no visible project executed by the commission was noticed.
Because of government indifference approach to the continued existence of the commission, the choice of leadership and constitution of Board Members for ISOPADEC has negated basic rules necessary for engagement of officials.
The background of the present Managing Director, of ISOPADEC, Andrew Nwoketubo ( Vockor) as a progressive and promising youth with past elements of struggle for the liberation of people of the area is exciting, but the fear of external influences from the “paymasters” may hinder his dream if the antecedents of his predecessors are considered.
While I continue to pray for the success of the present board, it is vital to ask questions about the ISOPADEC football club, floated by the immediate past MD, IYK Uwakwe. The disbanded club, which participated in the last Nationwide League and gained promotion from Division Two to Division one functioned not only as a recreational and entertainment outfit but also served part of the purpose for the creation of the commission. Apart from the creation of part time jobs to not less than forty people involved in the soccer outfit, it also afforded the budding talents abound in the area chance to showcase their skills. The governor while appreciating the giant strides of the club within a year of existence, during a thanksgiving service at Government House, Owerri, even expressed happiness with the successes by trying to equate it with that of the dominant darling club of the state, Heartland FC, of Owerri.
Away from the ISOPADEC, is the malfunctioned Niger Delta bureau, the two-time member who represented the state constituency, Opiah, had during his period as the number three citizen of the state, explored means for the creation of Bureau for Niger Delta affairs with a Special Adviser in charge. The office became an intermediary between the state and federal agencies like NDDC, and Ministry of Niger Delta affairs on projects in Ohaji/Egbema.
But the coming of Okorocha stiffled life in the bureau. Instead of retaining the Special Adviser status entitled to attend State Exco meeting, the new official was a mere Personal Assistant, PA to the governor with limited powers to undertake certain functions beneficial to the Niger Delta people of the State which Ohaji/Egbema is part of. The PA to Governor on Niger Delta office could not withstand a major cabinet shake up when the governor swept it off from the list of appointees until recent political exigencies forced him to reconsider the importance of the bureau. In the reorganized state Exco, a Commissioner for Niger Delta Affairs was appointed.
Interestingly, the office since the new dispensation came on board has nothing to show for it than a mere office.
The utter marginalization of the people saw to the management of post amnesty programme without inputs from the people of the area.
A suspect mock show of repentant militants surrendering arms and ammunition before security agencies were organized where youths from Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta were involved. At the end, the Okorocha government raised a post Amnesty Committee for the purported rehabilitation of ex-militants. The shocking details were the appointment of the wife of the governor as the chairman of the committee. The disregard to people of the area in choosing who heads the amnesty committee was another glaring point that questions the genuiness of the governor’s recognition of the people. It was not surprising that instead of instituting resettlement plans for the new converts, their militancy became extended with thuggery related jobs supervised by government officials who allegedly hire them for such hazardous tasks.
A sad reminder of the ills meted to the people of Ohaji/Egbema cannot be concluded without mentioning how the N400m released to Imo State Government during the period flood ravaged parts of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta was utilized. Following the difficulties victims of the flood encountered, the FG in 2012 released funds to sooth the conditions of the flood ravaged areas. How the funds were spent may be explained after the governor may have left office in 2019.
How about the promised Industrial Park and Market International Produce Market meant for Obokofia, Egbema and Umuagwo respectively? After much hype surrounding these proposed establishments under the governors “job” and “factory” mantra, the locations have become doyen of weeds and grass with traces of lost hope for the people to reap the dividends of democracy. It will not also be surprising that the proposed Imo State College of Education, Egbema campus, to be sited at Egbema secondary school may become another political gimmickry to hoodwink the people after the Governor’s kinsmen at Umuobom, Ideato South are yet to get a feel of the campus promised them four years ago.
I won’t go into the General Hospital brouhaha where the two existing health facility at Egbema and Umuokanne were rubbished for an uncompleted one, and the promised School of Nursing, Umukanne.
More disturbing is the connivance of some privileged locals aiding the neo-imperialism Ohaji/Egbema is witnessing under the present regime.
For the LGA to undergo such denials, the sabotage from fifth columnists cannot be overlooked. The development is getting to an alarming stage with informed minds and Ohaji/Egbema intelligentsia shamelessly falling for crumbs from the tables of paymasters in the new wave of “stomach infrastructure” dangled at them by the bugaboo oppressors.
Until there is a rethink from the people, perpetual tears will still remain in the eyes of Ohaji/Egbema.
Kelechi Mejuobi, a journalist is a regular columnist and commentator on contemporary issues