By: Isah Abdulazeez
It is no longer news that Igbei road, a one time major access to Auchi Sacred Kingdom has gone moribund, leading to commercial and business activities being relocated. It is noteworthy to state that Igbei Road is strategically located as one of the major commercial hubs of Auchi.
It will however amount to stating the obvious if it said that the road is no longer motorable. Even pedestrians find it difficult to use the road due to how bad the road has gone.
Just recently, the people of Igbei community and partly Akpekpe heaved a sigh of relief when in a kangaroo arrangement the embattled Deputy Governor of Edo State Comrade Philip Shaibu promised that the road has been awarded for immediate construction. The people rolled out the drums of celebration when after the statement of the Deputy Governor construction men and equipment were mobilised to start work.
To the amazement of the people, the contractors left the road worse than they met it. The deplorable state of the road has led residents to wonder if the words of the deputy governor were for serious or political reason.
It is imperative to put on record that Igbei community has been a major supporter of the All Progressive Congress Government, as no polling Unit has been won by any other political party other than the APC since the inception of the Broom party. The question in the lips of political watchers is why has Igbei Road not received the attention of the state or Local government despite the huge support from Igbei?
Igbei community can boast of Political big wigs in the Edo State All Progressive Congress; the like of Chief Charlton Mogaji, who is a former State Deputy Chairman, Comrade Umar Abduljelil, the incumbent Vice chairman of Etsako West Local Government Council and others who are in one way or the other benefiting from the APC government.
The year 2020 is here again. Sooner or later they will start riding on their SUV to the famous community hall located along the delapidated Igbei road to solicit for votes. The question is what has Igbei community really benefited from the political class since the return to democracy in 1999? Your response is as good as mine. Yet, our youths keep patching and forming alliance with the self conscious political class to toy with our precious future. It is now time for the people to rise up to the challenges.
During the next governorship election, no politician should be listened to if Igbei Road is not Given urgent attention.
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