Delta State: Gov Oborevwori give Road Network Succour to Aliboba Community, Agbor
- Aliboba Community neglected since 1999 of PDP administration of Delta State
Nigeria has savoured all the paraphernalia of Democracy since 1999 after it was left out from the tenterhooks of the military regime. Some states have since delivering the dividend of democracy to the nook and crannies of communities which form the microcosm of such states, while others are either marginalised, neglected, abandoned in all ramifications. A Community known as Aliboba in Ika South Local Government, Area of Delta State fall into this category because it has been subjected to the state of gross negligence right from the transition from the defunct Bendel State to Delta State without road networks. All that the government of Delta State know about the community is to use them to ride to power and dump them without fulfilling their electoral promises, writes Editor, Gentechnews Tony Nwakaegho
Aliboba Community, Ika South LGA, Agbor is situated from Uromi Junction to Agbor Technical School, where Delta Line has an office; where local and state government generate revenue from stores and other businesses; yet they only make do with bush paths to their houses, while some houses are caving into the gullies caused by erosion.
Gentechnews has carried out investigation into this area and discovered that if road network is constructed in this Aliboba Community, it will be the shortest link to at Ime-Obi, Agbor where the palace of the Dein of Agbor Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Dr Benjamin Ikenchuku Keagborekwuzi 1.
It is laughable that right from the administration of James Onanefe Ibori {2003 to 2007 || 1999 to 2003}; Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan{2011 to 2015 || 2007 to 2011}; Sen. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa {2019 to 2023 || 2015 to 2019} Rt Hon. Orohwedor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori{2023} nothing has been done to construct road network at Aliboba Community, Agbor.
It was gathered that Sen. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, who is the immediate past governor of Delta State is from Ika North East L.G.A of Delta State and was able to turn his area to a state of eldorado with the federal government institutions, University Campus, Federal Road Safety Corp Training institution, among others. He held the title of “Road Master” “Ekwueme” but never saw anything good in Ika South L.G.A to develop it with good road networks and institutions.
To Sen. Okowa, the words of Stephen Grellet is apt “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
Now that Rt Hon. Orohwedor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori is the Governor of Delta State, should Aliboba Community in Agbor be waiting for the proverbial “Godot” a life and the absurdity of existence without development? There have been many appeals to the governor to send his Commissioner for Works (Rural and Internal Roads) Delta State, Charles Aniagwu, an indigene of Ika North to visit this Aliboba Community and give him video clips of the deplorable state of the area that has been ravaged by erosion.
In pursuance of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that gives a person, group, association or organization the right to access information from Government Agencies, Parastatals, Federal Civil Service, Private and Public sector organizations providing public services, etc Gentechnews reached out to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon on October 15 2024 and his response “I can’t speak on that now until we are done with the 2024 budget.”
In the same vein, Gentechnews sent a reminder on January 12 2024 to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon after the State has been passed, but no response was received up until now.
In a related development, Ge on November 20, 2023, still in pursuance of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Gentechnews reached out to the Commissioner for Works (Rural and Internal Roads) Delta State, Charles Aniagwu to know why Aliboba Community in Agbor has remained abandoned without road networks after all the massive media reports which he received when he was the Commissioner for Information in the past administration, but no response.
Even, the Rt Hon. Orohwedor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, the Governor of Delta State has been inundated with these news reports on Aliboba Community in Aliboba in Ika South Local Government, Area of Delta State on his ‘X’ former Twitter handle.
In all these, it goes to show the red tapism, excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules redundant and bureaucratic that hinders action or decision-making of state matters that should be brought to the attention of his Excellency, Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon. Orohwedor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori.
Dante Alighieri sums it up that “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”
A community leader said “We have been voting for PDP government since 1999, with all the local government chairmen, House of Assembly members, House of Representative members, Senate members, yet none could push for the construction of road networks in Aliboba Community, Agbor.
Abel Alikwe, a resident, said “our areas have no road networks, except footpaths, pathways washed by erosion as well as deep gullies. The community leaders have had several chats with the both print and electronic media on this development and inundated the immediate past administration with the publication on both the state government official website, Instagram and Twitter handles to draw the attention of government to the plight of this community to no avail.
“The agony, pains and panic of the people is that lives have being lost, residential buildings about caving into deep gully in Ebomkpa quarters there, even as the Agbor Technical College and the Aliboba primary school are at the verge of the gully which can swallow any big lorry. About a year ago two siblings were swept away by flood in a mighty gully that is close to the Technical College fence.”
The Commissioner for Works (Rural and Internal Roads) Delta State, Charles Aniagwu, an indigene of Ika North should rise to the occasion and let road networks be constructed in the area because he was privy to the plight of the community when he was Commissioner of Information in former Governor Okowa’s administration, haven been inundated with avalanche of media reports about the area to no avail.
The Chairman of Ika South Local Government Council in Delta State, ought to be recalled for not pushing for the area to be developed under his watch.
Rt Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, the Speaker of the 8th Delta State House of Assembly and Arthur Akpowowo, the Deputy Speaker should intervene and ensure that Aliboba Community in Ika South Local Government, Area of Delta State benefit from the dividend of democracy by constructing good road network in the area without delay.
Gentechnews believes that it is time for Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori wrote his name in Gold and for residents of Aliboba Community, Agbor to say “You have done what Napoleon couldn’t do” for Aliboba Community in Ika South LGA of Delta State by constructing road networks after over three decades of Delta State.
Gentechnews wish to remain our leaders about what Martin Luther King, Jr. penned “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?
“Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.”