Urges Govt To Develop Ohaji, Employ Youths
By Ikenna Orioha
As crisis brews up in Assa autonomous community in particular and Awarra Court Area in general in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State over Town Union Leadership Positions, SDP Candidate for Ohaji/Egbema State Constituency in the 2023 election, Engr. Stanley Onyiriuka, has sued for peace among the warring parties at the areas.
Onyiriuka said even though the government had selected those it wanted to be the Town Union Executives of these communities in Awarra Court Area, ignoring the proper process of allowing the people to elect their leaders in that capacity, the agitating parties should forgive, surrender in the interest of peace, orderliness, conviviality and progress of the oil and gas rich region.
Speaking to journalists in Owerri on Thursday, Onyiriuka, who was the former Councillor for Assa/Obile Ward, former Niger Delta Security Coordinator, Ohaji/Egbema and former Executive Secretary Ohaji/Egbema, wondered why every government in power appoints Town Union Leaders at the detriment of the people.
The entrepreneur urged the people to bear any ill-treatment meted on them by government, as they have limited power to fight the government.
Onyiriuka rather urged the Town Union Leaders to lead a delegation to Government and demand for its urgent intervention towards the development of Ohaji, as they led some people to counter the protest against them by their rivals.
He regretted that Ohaji region is “backward, underdeveloped as there are no good roads, no electricity, no working healthcare centres, no befitting school structures, no sufficient teachers and teaching aids, no good market environment, a tiny youths are gainfully employed in government and oil companies, no scholarship or any youth sent overseas for internship or study as done in Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa States despite the huge oil and gas being excavated from Ohaji soil. This is why we do not need any crisis or restiveness again particularly in Awarra Court Area and Ohaji at large. Because the government uses such issues as excuses to shy away from developing the area while feeding fat with our oil and leaving us impoverished, hopeless, traumatized”.
“As a stakeholder, I am pleading with my people especially Assa people, to embrace peace. Since Town Union President was zoned to Umuobi village in Assa autonomous community and the person appointed PG is the son of the soil, let us forgive and work together to lift the community positively. Yes, you have protested and the other party had countered your claims, there is need for calmness and unity.
“How long shall we continue going round the cycle. We have witnessed high level of backwardness and abandonment. This is one of the reasons I took the bull by the horn to salvage our people through the Assembly Seat capacity, but many people did not understand that. But then, we will not keep silent, we shall always tell our people the raw truth. The obvious truth is that development of Ohaji should be a call of emergency. That our communities where oil and gas are produced have no road, no electricity, nothing to write home about. I do not think we are even in the map of project in Imo State.
“I am calling on the state government to urgently develop Ohaji and stop shying away. President of Nigeria recently formerly inaugurated a Gasplant in Assa, Ohaji, and it is shameful that one of the gigantic Gasplant Projects in West Africa sited in Ohaji is being delayed in generating power to the communities, just as the Egbema Gas Turbine which is now moribund. Government should rather concentrate in developing Ohaji”, Onyiriuka stated.
While congratulating the new Town Union Leaders: Comr. Reward Evans (PG), Comr. Uzoma Dominic Onyenaju (VP), Barr. Eric Nwanom (Legal Adviser), Comr. Emmanuel C. Ugorji (Secretary), Comr. Duke-Bright C. C. Enyia (PRO), Comr. Chidi Egezula (Youth President) and Mrs. Violet N. Assor ( Women Leader), Onyiriuka advised them to “make a difference and right past mistakes. You should have the capacity to lead a delegation to Government House and demand for development and inclusion of the people in the scheme of things in Imo State”.
