Igbei Road: An Orphan Calling For Help

Igbei Road: An Orphan Calling For Help Part 2

BY
Isah Abdulazezz

Igbei community before now was the hub of major businesses in Auchi and the host to a horde of students of the Polytechnic. Sadly, this cannot be said to be the situation today.

From the Angle 90 area, down to Olele Junction, different businesses thrived. The road gradually started to wear out due to the the large volume of water flowing through it as it was initially constructed without proper drainage. This, adding to the erosion situation of the town, coupled with the lack of attention on the part of the governments created the present situation at Igbei road.

The ‘I don't care’ attitude of the business owners is another source of worry as they do not have any sense of social responsibility in them. This no doubt, is a topic for another day, as they believe that since they pay their local government levies, it is the direct duty of the government to provide infrastructural facilities for them.

The cry for the repair of Igbei Road has been on but unfortunately the cries have continued to fall on deaf ears.
Residents and interested persons have continued to wonder why the government have continued to carry out emergency palliative measures during the rainy season on a road so economically important to Auchi and Edo North in general, when a final solution can be done on the road and everyone move on to other pressing issues.

However, during a reception ceremony by the people of Uzanu in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, for the minister of state for Budget and National planning, Mr. Clement Agba, he made some revelations concerning his stewardship as a minister as well as when he was a commissioner for Environment in Edo State.

One of such revelations concerns our neglected and forgotten Igbei Road. The Hon. Minister noted that at the twilights of the administration of Com. Adams Oshiomhole, the government specially demanded that the ministry of Environment prepare designs for tackling the erosion problems in about ten areas in the state and that Igbei Road in Auchi was among the roads which his ministry prepared such designs for and submitted to the State’s Executive Council before the administration wound down.

The designs were handed over to the administration of Godwin Obaseki for implementation. It is however sad that almost four years down the line, all the government of Obaseki-Shaibu has been able to do is put up palliative measures which have further worsened the condition of Igbei Road.
There is no gain saying the fact that Igbei Road is erosion prone, hence, measures must be put in place to control this erosion if a long lasting road must be constructed.

It is therefore disheartening to note that in the runoff to the governorship election of the state this year, Igbei Road will again be used as a political chess board for the people of Auchi, as was seen in Governor Godwin Obaseki's address during Auchi Day Celebration yesterday. As usual, the people are likely to accept this gimmick which never comes to reality once a government settles down at the Osadebey House in Benin City.

The question begging for urgent answer now is- what happened to the design done and handed over by the past administration to the Obaseki-Philip led administration? Why has this administration not implemented the design? Why have they decided to leave Igbei community in a state of neglect and perpetual suffering, despite the huge political support they enjoy amongst the people?

Government as an entity is supposed to be based on continuity, irrespective of the political affiliation of those in Government. It is however disheartening that Obaseki as an offshoot of the government that made these designs has decided to abandon them for no reason.

Traders, Landlords and other business owners in Igbei have had their means of livelihood taken away by the bad state of the road as they no longer have patronage.

No doubt, political activities will soon kick start, as the atmosphere is already charged. Igbei indigenes and residents must be ready to resist any politician that uses that road as a campaign message. They must resist these rapacious rapists who only come to the people when their manhood is up, and once they’ve climaxed, they abandoned those who stood by them.

Any politician who truly needs the votes of the people of the densely populated Igbei road in particular and Auchi in general must be ready to enter into an MOU with the voters with a view to ascertaining his sincerity and good purpose for the people. Any politician that refused to heed to this, certainly means no business.

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