Anambra Community Engages Govt Over Alleged Marginalization

By Phil Okose, Onitsha

Dissatisfied with their alleged marginalization by Anambra State Government, the people of Achalla community, Awka North Local Government Area, weekend vowed to confront the State Government if the marginalization continues.

Making the vow during the celebration of the 2022 New Yam festival by the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Osita Sunny Nwokedi, the President General of the community, Chief Nnamdi Michael Ikwune, lamented that their roads have been cut off by flood and abandoned over the years.

"We thought we would have been among those listed in the phase 1 of the State Government road rehabilitation project, but they excluded us saying we would be shortlisted in the phase 2. We have to wait as they said but if at the end of the day we are not involved, we will go confrontational against the State Government because we voted massively for Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo and APGA.

"We want State Government to declare Achalla 'a state of emergency', we have rough roads, it shows injustice done to us despite that we are council headquarters. We tow part of peace and very contributive to this government.

"Achalla is the food basket of the State and we need good roads to evacuate our farm produce to the cities, but we are neglected. The council secretariat, schools, among other places, are ghost areas," the PG lamented.

Contributing, Igwe Nwokedi urged Governor Soludo to come to the rescue of the people towards infrastructural development of the community adding that the community has been abandoned for years now especially on road projects.

Lamenting that the community has been marginalized despite her support to Governor Soludo, Igwe Nwokedi commended Senator Uche Ekwunife for embarking on the rehabilitation of one of the major roads in the community without the community asking her for such gesture.

"We will reciprocate her because it is those who remember us that we also remember and that is why today, (Saturday), we resolved and conferred on her the Chieftaincy title of, 'Anya Ejieje Mba'. She is now a member of my cabinet", Igwe stated.

In his speech, the former President General of the community, Chief Nwatanayo Eze, stressed the need for the State Government to come to their need adding that as food basket of the State, priority attention should be rendered to them.

In his own speech, the Cabinet secretary, Chief Nworah Patrick, urged Governor Soludo to rehabilitate their roads hinting that the community has the best export of rice in Nigeria.

"We expect infrastructural development of our community especially on roads, our roads are terribly bad. We have the best export of rice in Nigeria and rehabilitation of the roads will help us evacuate the farm produce," he stated.

Also on hard drug, Mkpulumili, (methamphetamine) consumption by youths he advised them to emulate those of them that are youths but public servants, pointing out that such drugs consumption ruin one for life.

Speaking, one of the network giants, MTN, that sponsored the occasion, through its team, led by Mr. Ojima Prince, said that Igbo people didn't play with their cultural heritage adding that MTN as part of communication, was there for information dissemination.