Paul Osuyi, Asaba
EGBUDU-AKAH community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State is plagued by a myriad of challenges ranging from deplorable access road, lack of electricity, schools and potable water. In fact, the agrarian community appears to be alienated from government because of the dearth of public facilities that are readily available in neighbouring communities.
Since 1999 at the inception of the present democratic dispensation, some community folks claim that they are yet to feel the impact of government even though they always performed their civic duties and voting in election every four years.
The development, according to concerned indigenes, led to deep sober reflection in which they have asked themselves if the community is still part of Delta State, even as they attributed the development to the non-appointment of their son or daughter into government. But all hope is not lost, as some citizens of the town have refused to resign to fate. They have taken up the challenge to bring their plight to the front burner and possibly attract the sympathy of government.
As a result, the community’s pro-development lobby group, Egbudu-Akah Development Front launched an advocacy with a view to lobbying Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for a political appointment for one their own.
It is the belief of the group that if an Egbudu-Akah native is appointed into position, the light of development will begin to shine on the town.
The group in a statement lamented their state of total alienation and abandonment by successive administrations in Delta State and appealed to Okowa to correct the anomaly in his second tenure as governor.
They insisted that aside the community has zero presence of government and virtually no public utilities and socio-development projects since the inception of the current democratic dispensation in 1999.
Conveners of the body, Nath Obiokolie and Moses Okonkwo, specifically appealed to the governor to appoint Prince Daniels Obiokolie into his cabinet to ensure that the kingdom is represented in his administration.
Egbudu-Akah kingdom is host to one of the largest state rubber plantations that generate significant revenues to government coffers: “Yet the Kingdom has never benefitted from any infrastructural development, except the rural electrification project, which packed up few months after installation; neither has any qualified son or daughter been appointed to any position in the state since its creation in 1991.”
The group posited that modern politics should focus on even distribution of projects and appointments based on interest, merit, qualification and suitability, which they insisted, were not lacking in Obiokolie.
They said he “has the mental sagacity, social exposure and leadership acumen to serve in his administration, having demonstrated his interest in Anioma politics through his grassroots empowerment foundation and as founding president, Anioma Association, Australia.”