Residents of Ibii community in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi state have cried out to the state government to save them from being cut off from the rest of the state “due to bad road, lack of power supply, among other necessities of life”.
In several interviews with our reporter, residents of the community said that they have suffered abandonment for years, even before the state was created, but have always voted for the government in power during election years.
Speaking with our reporter, one of the residents, Chief Nelson Otu, said that Ibii is particularly affected by bad road, being an agrarian community that depends on agricultural produce for survival and appealed to the state government for urgent intervention.
He said: “The Ibii road that traverses the community to Afikpo town and the one that connects us to Akpoha community has been in a deplorable state for many years. We are calling on the governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, FNSE, FNATE, to please come to our aid.
“The major road that connects us to the state is so bad that, if not for community effort, we would have been cut off completely. They should do something. We are an agrarian community and our people are finding it difficult to transport our agric products to other areas.
“We produce food, such as rice, cassava and yam in large quantity. Our problem is that we don’t have good roads. We are cut off during the rainy season. We’re suffering. Why are we hated and marginalised these much, when we’ve always given 99% votes to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999 till date?”
Also speaking, one of the residents and Technical Assistant to the Governor on Attiudnal Change, Kelechi Ability, said that, apart from bad roads, the community is also suffering from lack of power supply and called on the state governor, representatives in the National Assembly and representative in the state House of Assembly for intervention.
He said: “We call on the state government to intervene in our plights, especially in the area of electricity and road network as we’ve been cut off from our brother communities in the state. We make bold to say that since 1999, our great party, PDP, has never failed any election in our community, but the height of negligence and marginalisation is heartbreaking.
“We call on the state governor, Apostle David Nweze Umahi, Senator representing Ebonyi South, Senator Michael Ama Nnachi, Member representing Afikpo North/ South constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Idume Igariwey and member representing Afikpo North West in the Ebonyi state House of Assembly, Hon. Ikoro Kingsley Ogboonia, please hearken to our yearnings.”
