Allanso Jonathan Allanso
Oyigbo town, the headquarters of Oyigbo Local Government Area, is now a dead trap. It is amazing to even hear that such a town like Oyigbo, a town comparable, one could say, to Port Harcourt City, the Rivers State capital, could be subjected to a town of rejection by those who meddle and manage the affairs of the graciously commercial town.
It is too shameful to mention it, not to talk of thinking about it, that the once tenderly loved commercial town is in such a confused and unbearable state that even if you are healthy, a trip to Oyigbo town will land you in hospital for weeks. This is because the galloping roads you will pass through are enough for one to take bed rest for the rest of the day. Merely sighting the road alone will make one sick out of fear of passing through them. Investigation revealed that those who are based in Oyigbo are prone to hypertension and other heart related diseases.
Those who have not been to Oyigbo before may not understand what this writer is trying to express now. But please if you are pregnant never try embarking on a journey to Oyigbo main town. If you do, you will not only lose your pregnancy, but be a guest to the hospital for weeks.
At this juncture you may be tempted to ask; are there no representatives of Oyigbo in the government? This question will lead us to know how wicked and greedy man is to man.
In every administration, Oyigbo also has her representatives at the federal, state and local levels, respectively. Allocations are also disbursed to the local government council with the purpose of developing the place, like roads, schools, hospitals and other social basics amenities that are the rights of every indigene of the area. If so what happened to the funds released for the purpose of developing the area used for? Who are the administrators of the area?
Oyigbo also has a Senator, Federal House of Representatives member and the State House of Assembly member, added to the chairman who directly administers the local government council. These people should all be called to answer for the deplorable state of the roads. These should be the work of the indigenes of the area. The Oyigbo council of chiefs, elders forum, youth bodies, women and market women association, should all team up to ask all the past administrators of the area.
All blames are pointing to Hon. Chief Precious Oforji. He has his blame, but the blame should be extended to other representatives who have made their money through representing the area. These men are all dishonourable men.
Of a truth men without conscience, men with greedy heart, with intent to steal through politics, the peoples wealth, are incapable of developing their areas. Is this true of the representatives of Oyigbo? As a matter of fact, both the Senate and House of Representatives should pass a bill into law enforcing that any representative of any local government council who do not justify the allocations disbursed to his or her local government should be charged as a rogue.
This means, such representative will be treated as a common market criminal according to the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This I feel will go a long way to strengthen things. Because the rate our representatives divert money meant for the development of their areas, has equaled that of broad day thieves.
Honourable Precious Oforji has a jeep and could drive through comfortably at the expense of the people’s joy. He knows too well that he will need a good road to pass through to pack his jeep at his house. Yet what has Oforji done as chairman of Oyigbo local government area to ameliorate the sufferings of his people and meet the pressing needs of the people? He is supposed to administer good governance to the people, put smiles on their faces. It takes a man of sincere heart to develop an area for his people. If representatives lack honour, why should they be called honourable instead of dishonourable group of men.
The case of Oyigbo is an accumulative deplorable situation from representatives of the council. Oforji is a culprit here, because he aggravated what was existing before. The situation at Oyigbo now needs the attention of all the representatives of the council from the Senate, House of Representatives, River State House of Assembly and the chairman of the council.
Oyigbo is a commercial town, thickly populated by mostly strangers because of its commercial content. Again it is very close toPort Harcourt, the state capital. If the representatives of the council are not thinking of their people, they should as a matter of fact think of the good image it will bring toRiversState, if the place is developed for good habitation for the rest of the people who are mainly strangers, for the sake ofRiversState. It is Rivers state name that the people will call in relating back to their people at home, saying ‘I am residing inRiverState, in Oyigbo town’.
Most importantly, if the people are not performing they should be recalled home, for another person who has the interest of the people at heart to develop the place.
After all, those who are voted to occupy the various positions at different levels are there to speak the collective wish of the people of the area, since all could not be there to speak for themselves individually.
Committees of stakeholders, elders forum, women and market women associations and youth bodies should be set to assess the activities at all levels in the day to day running of the local government council. This, Oyigbo people should do now to save themselves from their representatives and stop them from short changing them. #####
