Egbema Bad Roads: Ijaw Group Advise Gov. Obaseki, of Edo State To Stop Tribalism ln Governance

 

By Wilson Macaulay

WARRI

lt is no longer news, that the 

deplorable condition of Egbema Kingdom roads in in Edo State State is indeed a pitiable

one, because most of the roads are no longer motorable due to neglect by successive Governments over time.

The  Egbema people especially during the raining season practically

groan over the deplorable state of their  roads with no sucour at sight from the Edo State Government  as they are relegated to  second fiddle to remain in that terible condition of abandonement

without any hppe of   respite at sight.

 The Egbema Focus Group (EFG), 

a  frontline advocacy  group formed to

accelerate the developmental pace of   Egbema kingdom  , moved to speak out against the perceived injustice of under development in Egbema kingdom 

have faulted the Executive Governor of Edo State, His Excellency,  Mr Godwin Obaseki, over the deplorable condition of Egbema roads.

The Egbema Focus Group lamented

that the major road in Egbema 

Kingdom which is Udo-Ofunama Road 

was awarded by NDDC, but to their greatest surprise ,seven years after the

road  contract has been awarded, nothing was done, to fix it to cushion the negative effect of the absence of road infracstructures .

According to the Group Director of Publicity , Comrade Tamara-Ebi Idaji, , His Excellency , Gov Godwin Obaseki have intentionally deprived the good people of Egbema kingdom, by sidelining them   from developmental projects and  appointments.

They Publicity Director  explained  during an interactive session  that the  only accessable road to Egbema kingdom, Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, is totally abandoned, as a no  going area because,  the road is not tarred.

The Egbema Focus Group  accused Mr  Godwin Obaseki the Executive Governor of Edo State, who  intentionally abandoned and sidelined Egbema Kingdom from his main stream activities after seven years of his administration.

The Group pointed out that the 

Egbema roads which connects  Delta and 

Ondo  States, in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo state,  can best be described as a death trap, as the entire road has become dilapidated to the extent that travelers are held up at the bad spots  for days, with  many vehicles totally broken down.

 They reaffirmed that the Egbema-Udo road which was awarded as Udo-Ofunama road,  is the only way  to  access the Egbema Kingdom  communities, such as Ajakurama, Ofunama, Gbeguba, Abere, Jamagie 1and 2, town's,  Gbolukanga, and other communities which  has become unbearable to  motorists, farmers, and other road users, who have no idea , which side of the road is good to ply because it is all covered with water.

The Statement which also lamented the

lack of inclusiveness of the ljaws of Egbema Kingdom  into the Exco of the current adminisrttration ,noted:"  Aside the neglect of the Edo Ijaws by Edo State Government in terms of developmental project for Ijaw Communities, the deplorable condition of all Ijaw kingdom roads, in Edo State   is nothing but a demonstration  of an open hatred and  the height of tribalism displayed  by the  Gov. Godwin Obaseki led administration,.

The Statement added:' The Obaseki led administration  can't point out one meaningful  project in the  Ijaw Communities, if he was from Egbema kingdom  he Would not  abandon the kingdom in this manner.

 Daily lndependent  during the Agadagba tour, witnessed and spoke with the Group Director of Publicity ,Comrade Tamara-Ebi at  the various bad spots

where drivers, passengers and vehicles

 were stranded, and stringed into endless queue .

The Group Mouth Piece told Independent that   the roads in Ajakurama to Gbeuba, Ofunama to Jamagie, Abere to Gbolukanga, held up many vehicles, some of the vehicles already breakdown from one community to another, some  already in deep pit, traveler's already suffering and stranded,  while other  road users are raising alarm that the bad condition of the Egbema road exposes them to dangers, destruction of  their goods, vehicles and armed robbery attacks, particularly at night.

They harped on the need for the Udo - Ofunnama Road to be given a filip saying :  "The deplorable situation of the Egbema roads does not only affect adversely our smooth drive from Egbema to Benin City and other places in the State but it also  put both our lives and vehicles at risk and we are often being left stranded in the roads for days,in a journey that should be less than four hours."

Shedding more light on the situation, the Statement continued; " At least Egbema Kingdom have about  one hundred 100 communities and clans from Udo to Ajakurama town, Inikorogha, Ofunama, Jamagie 1&2, Gbeuba, Gbolukanga, Abere, clans with their  Communities, in Ovia South West , Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo state,"

With emphasis , he remarked: ' Residents and traders in Ajakurama, Ofunama, Abere, Gbeuba, Jamagie,Itagbene, Binidodogha, Ajatiton Communities and other affected communities have also lamented the huge losses they have incured as a result of  the hike  of fuel Price, following the removal of Subsidy, they

now  transport their  goods to Ondo and Delta States for sale without gain, due to the dilapidated road situation in Edo State."

The Group explained that the people of Egbema kingdom have  complained in several  fora, Newspaper interviews and  electronic publication,  that their  commercial vehicle operators always abandoned their vehicles in Benin City,  as they remain  jobless in  every cycle of

 raining season.

The Statement disclosed that only 

the speed boat drivers apply the route and diverts to Gelegele, town, Ovia North East, Sapele town, Sapele LGA, Delta State, and Agadagba Obon Ese-Odo Local Government of Ondo State., 

The Group lamented further in their Statement saying: " For a journey that is suppose to be four hours at most,if People wants  to travel by road, it is either they stay the whole day on the road, or their vehicles breakdown on the road.

The Statement recalled : " Long ago, NDDC awarded Egbema road as Udo-Ofunama road, even Edo State Government, under the Gov. Godwin Obaseki led Administration vowed to take over the project, the State Government wanted to start another intervention on the road, even  though NDDC have  awarded the  Udo-Ofunama road work  to a contractor ,  and he was duely Mobilized to the site.

However,  after the contractor was Mobilized to the site, the  company only worked  on  the stretch of the road where the Bini People's Communities

occupies and abandoned the area

covering Ijaw Communities, 

stressing that, up till now nothing

good  has happened again on that road

with Constuctiion materials and tools abandoned at Udo Axis on the road,

The statement maintained that 

despite the fact that the  road has gone very bad to the extent  of commuters going through a lot of troubles, threatening to cut -off  the people of Egbema kingdom out of civilization, they Wondered why Góvernor Obaseki have not thought it wise to come to their rescue.

Other key speakers who made their various contributions concurred that 

the neglect of the Egbema kingdom by

the Edo State Government, is a 

calculated attempt to cut off the good people of Egbema kingdom, from 

modern living.

According to them, since the existence of Nigeria no single road was  tarred in Egbema kingdom, no electricity, no drinkable water, no bank, no Police station, no hospital, no higher institution, no empowerment centre, no Town Hall, no Market, , but there are military checkpoints to guide  Egbema oil and gas, facilities which are  host Communities to  multinational oil companies, such as, Chevron, SPDC, NPDC, ELcrest, Conoil, Sahara Energy, OML40, 30, and other multi international companies, 

Conclusively , the Focus Group posited: "Egbema kingdom is the highest  Oil and Gas Producing Kingdom in Delta State, and  the Edo State Ijaw kingdoms make Edo State an oil Producing State, but no dividends is accruing to the People through whom  Edo State is reaping

so much benefit as an oil Producing State, but regrettably, the Edo State Government is not helping  matters since they have not been able to curb the excessess of those openly instigating 

 restiveness and crisis against the people of Egbema kingdom  and as we are being pushed to the  wall, we have no other option than to turn back to face the chasers ,the Statement concluded.