Touched by the pathetic situations faced by most Rivers Communities, as a result of lack of infrastructural facilities or decay in few existing ones due to neglect and lack of maintenance by the Government, African leading civil society organization, Connected Development, CODE, has called on the Rivers State Government to see the urgent need to address infrastructural deficit in the state.
This call was made on Thursday, 27th October, 2022, during a town hall meeting hosted by the organization for communities in Rivers State, at Landmark Hotel in Port Harcourt.
The event which had “Follow the Money Project”, had community Development (CDC) chairmen from various communities in Rivers State, such as; Oyigbo urban in Oyigbo Local Government, Umuechem, in Etche LGA, Obuama Community in Degema LGA, Bomu in Gokhana LGA, George People Community in Bonny LGA, Odemerenyi Community, Ahada East LGA, Idama Community in Akuku-Toru LGA, Emohua, Omuku; as well as other.
The event which was transmitted live via NigeriaInfo 92.3fm, saw representatives giving pitiable accounts of their people’s challenges due to infrastructural deficit in their areas; also appealed to the Government, NDDC, multinational corporations and relevant agencies to consider coming to their aid.
Earlier, in her address, Rivers State Lead of Connected Development (CODE), Ms. Evelyn Williams told participants that the essence of the Community town hall meeting was to look at the research report that was being carried out by Connected Development team in the twenty-three (23) Local Government Areas of Rivers State, specifically on the state of basic social amenities, on health, education and other sector.
Ms. Williams said that Connected Development has been able to attract projects in the ten (10) Local Governments, and even in the twenty-three local governments in the sectors mentioned.
According to her, it is quite disheartening to note that most of these basic infrastructures are in deplorable states.
“So, the purpose of all of these we’re doing is to actually work together with communities to effectively engage government commitments to effectively deliver services to citizens that actually elected them into office”, she said.
Giving situation reports in their various communities, a representative of Oyigbo urban in Oyigbo Local Government Area, Chief Precious Enweruka said Oyigbo is in dare need of infrastructural development, as internal roads are nothing to write home about, inspite of that, Chief Enweruka expressed thanks to God that the state Governor is taking care of the Oyigbo round about to Afam roads, adding that they have internal roads that are very much important to their communities, saying that they are dilapidated as the roads condition have forced people out of the communities to Oyigbo urban.
Electricity, he said is another problem being faced, pointing out that for a year and seven months now, some parts of Oyigbo have been thrown into darkness. He also complained about drainage, saying that the entire area is always flooded, hence they have roads that can channel water into Imo rivers if Oyigbo urban is properly looked into and made a focus of development.
Chief Enweruka noted that their geo, strategic position coupled with their peaceful nature should make the state, NDDC, oil companies and even the local government to come to their aid and do something.
“People are living the place because of absence of electricity and bad roads”, he added.
Engr. Nwairoegbu Godspower, the CDC Chairman of Umuechem Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, expressed happiness for being at the event, lamenting that it was shocking to note that Umuechem Community that has been yearning for development since oil was found in their community in 1957. He said that the record has it that Umuechem was the first community where oil was found in large quantity after Oloibiri in the present Bayelsa State, recording Umuechem to be the second.
“But today, in 1990, we asked for social amenities; just simple light, water, and the Government said no; that we have no right to what belonged to us; we were killed, maimed, and our houses destroyed, we have been suffering since that time till date. And as I speak, Umuechem Community do not have ordinary health centre facility.
“We have approached the government, we have approached the OMPADEC, now NDDC, and up till date, even when they tried to putting up a structure called a hospital, up till date the cottage hospital is not functioning, the building is dilapidating, as every efforts made by the community to see even if they can provide ordinary health centre to our community is proven abortive.
“It is worthy to note that Umuechem Community contributes immensely to the resources of Etche Local Government, and nothing is happening; and up to date, there is no state Government project sited in Umuechem”, he regretted.
According to him, every project you see in Umuechem Community, are community efforts.
“We need the state Government, the Federal Government and the Local Government, and even the Angels to help us develop our area, as people are crying upon the huge natural resources that we have”, he appealed.
Dr. Obuah Anthony, Chairman CDC of Akpabu in Emohua Local Government Area, explained that they have some challenges in their community, as far as social infrastructure is concerned.
Beginning from the area of education, Dr. Anthony said their primary school building is dilapidated, and that the roofs have been pulled off by wind, making the roofs to be opened and that each time it rains the whole class rooms and halls are flooded, children are stranded and learning cannot go on effectively.
Dr. Anthony called on the Government to respond to the needs of his community to fix the school building before it will finally collapsed, adding that the community health centre doesn’t have a resident doctor(s); and there are no drugs for patients; this, he said is a challenge because many have lost their lives. He also mentioned water as a major problem in the community right from the creation of Rivers State, as the community has been having their main source of water through the Sombrairo river, saying that the rivers are polluted as certain sicknesses and diseases are burn from the rivers and members of the community are affected seriously.
“They suffer from cholera, diaria, desentry and other water burn diseases.
“We need government urgent attention to establish rural water scheme in this community.
“Our roads are failing in some section, and to access the community, we pass through some difficulties”, he stressed.
Mr. Odile Godstime, is the CDC Chairman of Odimerenyi Community in Ahoada East Local Government Area, who said it was a pleasure to have the session.
Mr. Godstime recalled that the state school Odimerenyi built in the early 1960s, and from time to time the community organize its rehabilitation, nothing that as it stands now, the school is completely dilapidated, and the roofs are off. He recalled that during Chibuike Amaechi’s era, the community had a modern primary school, but was not completed, and so could not be used; adding that even the one they have the pupils are suffering and that they sit down on the bar floor to learn; and when there is rain, the rain beats them directly because the roofs are open.
“The only source of water we had in my area was through NDDC, and after some times the water became bad, and the system collapsed, and called on NDDC to come to their aid.
“The health centre constructed by Stephen Ihua as the Local Government Chairman was not completed, and today we are calling on the current Ahoada East Local Government to come to our aid and complete the health centre, because we know the usefulness of health facility to human existence.
“So, we are calling on the Government, NDDC, multinationals and other relevant agencies to come to our aid and assist the community and carry out these project”, he added.
In his presentation, a representative of Bomu Community in Gokhana Local Government Area, Chief Isaiah Menekpege lamented the total neglect of his community by the Government and other relevant agencies. Chief Menekpege said primary and secondary schools in his area are in deplorable condition with leaking roofs, no water and toilet facilities, as pupils and students defecate in the bush thereby exposing themselves to the dangers of reptiles.
He further stated that lack of roads hamper transportation of farm produce, result to perishing of lots of goods. This, he said put farmers at a very big loss, and appealed to the government to help them out by fixing some infrastructures for them.
Meanwhile, representatives of other communities from Idama in Akuku-Toru LGA, Finnima Community in Bonny LGA, and Degeman LGA; and others, lamented bitterly the appalling completely infrastructural decay in their areas, and appealed to the Rivers State Government, NDDC, multinationals and Local Government Areas, to come to their aid, as to safe lives of the rural people.
However, CODE, through its Rivers State Lead, Ms Evenly Williams urged the State Government to address the lack of infrastructural development in the communities as to mitigate the suffering of the people.
The organization noted that majority of the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) lack potable water, an overwhelming majority (83%) of the PHCs are disconnected or unconnected from the power supply, and that a significant proportion of the PHCs across the local Government areas lack proper waste disposal points.
“The fact that large populations of the grassroots depend on these facilities without adequate environmental assets highlights the urgent need for intervention”, she noted, stressing that, schools are unable to meet the requirements and standards of education in the twenty-first century which breaches the human rights of the citizens of Rivers State by purposefully or unintentionally preventing them from receiving basic education.
Furthermore, she noted, ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are underfunded, which restricts their capacity to execute and complete initiatives that benefit rural areas.
According to her, the citizens should benefit from strategic infrastructure investments to compensate for the overt and covert effects of oil exploration since they suffer the brunt of oil extraction, loss of variety and other natural productive assets.
Ms Williams thank all for honouring their invitation, assuring that her organization will continue to do her best, and ensure that government lived up to their responsibility by providing the necessary infrastructural facilities for the communities.
