Aliboba Quarters, Agbor, the ugly face of Abandoned Community of Delta State at 30 years
- Community without motorable streets and roads in Delta State.
The dividends of democracy are simply the benefits enjoyed by the masses who voted for the government in power.There is no other place that is neglected in terms of the dividend of democracy like the area in Aliboba quarters Agbor that has never experienced a motorable road since the inception of Delta State, Gentechnews writes.
When a civilian government was reinstated in Nigeria in 1999, many of those living in the Niger Delta region, the source of Nigeria’s oil wealth, hoped that a “democratic dividend” would end decades of neglect they had suffered under successive military regimes.
However, almost all the governors of Delta state made speeches assuring the people of the state that their administration would continue in its efforts to develop the state and deliver “the dividends of democracy to all.”
This phrase got people like those living in Aliboba Community in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State thinking about what was implied as against what most often happens.
In their usual fashion, politicians will be seen making grand gestures in the communities six months before the elections. Why do they do this? Is it because they have barren vision and can only see what benefits them, or is it because they believe the little gifts and handouts are the dividends of democracy the masses should expect from them?
For politicians, power is the greatest dividend and numerous other benefits accompany that power; hence successive administrations come and go and only remember the residents of Alibuba during electioneering campaigns with vogue promises that the roads in the area will be constructed.
Ika origin in Delta State is made up of Ika South and Ika North East.
Like the philosopher will say: “Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both.
“If we ever get free from the oppressions and wrongs heaped upon us, we must pay for their removal. We must do this by labor, by suffering, by sacrifice, and if needs be, by our lives and the lives of others.”
The people of Aliboba in Agbor community, in the Ika South Local Government Area of the Delta state, where flood killed two siblings, have called severally under the State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Christ Onogbaon for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, to save them, as a matter of urgency, from the looming danger of flooding in the area.
The agony, pains and panic of the people as lives were being lost, residential buildings caving into deep gully in Ebomkpa quarters even as the Agbor Technical College and the Aliboba primary school are at the verge of the gully which can swallow any big lorry.
The community residents in Boji-Boji Agbor said several calls have been made to the state government to address the situation without any positive response.
The Chairman of the community, Mr Johnson Nwaogwu, once told the media that several protest letters have been written to the Governor stating their plight but no positive response or attention so far given to the gully.
The question on every lip in the Aliboba community is “What is the sin of this community that houses the Delta Line at Uromi Junction, Agbor. The gully which is before this Delta line office has become the cynosure of all eyes and speaks volume about the culture of discrimination and marginalization that appears to rear its ugly head when the Governor of Delta State is from the Ika entity.
“We voted massively for the Governor Okowa during the just concluded election as well as all the other elected officeholders and wonder why they neglect us at this time of urgent need,” some of the residents lamented.
They also lamented that they have no access roads, asking “We voted for this government in power. Okowa, what have the people of Agbor done? Tell us so that we can come and apologize.
“We are aware that the State is working on Owanta gully erosion in the same Agbor that they have spent over N3 billion to address the situation.
“The Boji Boji Owa areas have been transformed with roads constructed by Governor Okowa administration. What has the Aliboba community done to warrant this level of neglect.”
Gentechnews visited the people of Aliboba in Agbor community, in the Ika South Local Government Area of the Delta state and discovered that the menace of flooding and erosion in these quarters had become worse with the recent rains.
It was also gathered that Ika South has notable sons and daughters who committed to community service thereby reducing the sufferings of their brethren. Among them are Dr Jim Ovia from Obiolihe, Agbobi, Mr Agboje Egbonimali Shadrack from Ahima, Alisimie, Dr. Donald Peterson from Ogbisere, among others.
The people of Aliboba in Agbor community are wondering what their fate will be when power shift from Anioma Area whereas an Ika indigene and Governor of Delta State, Senator, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and his administration have failed to see to the plight of this community to construct motorable roads in all the adjoining streets of the community.
Gentechnews also gathered that many Communities in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State have decried what it called a deliberate attempt by those in authority to undeveloped the area.
According to them, governments, both past and present, have continually promoted unfavourable policies to undermine the development of the communities of the Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Aliboba Community for instance is so neglected with no access road linking the areas to the outside world. It is a shame that such a scenario as these erosion ravage communities could be seen in this 21st century in Ika South Local government area of Delta State.
This is a litmus test for this administration as the ruling party gears up for the next election in 2023.
Below is the scene of the erosion prone streets in Aliboba Community in Boji Boji Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area in Delta State visited and captured by Gentechnews.
