Felix Ikem, Nsukka

Natives and residents of Amokwu-Affa community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State have sent a Save Our Souls (SoS) message to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and Hon. Dennis Amadi, following the reported basic amenities in the community.

The community said that this has affected every facet of lives in terms of business, social life and general standard of living in the area.

Affa community, which dwells in the northern part of Enugu State, is one of the largest town in Udi Local Government Area of the state, which shares common communal boundaries with Aku, Umuoka, Egede, Umulumgbe, Akpakume, Oghu and Oghe.

In a chat with the Daily Sun, a youth leader in the community, Nkalu Nelson, pointed out that Amokwu-Affa community precisely is one of the autonomous communities that is made up of other autonomous communities in Affa, in Udi local government area which includes Ikono/Inoyi, Amofia, Amozalla, Ogor and Umukoloma, but grossly lagging behind in infrastructural development, if not segregated despite being surrounded by other progressive communities like Aku, Umuoka, Egede and others with electricity and relatively good road networks.

Nkalu Chigozie Nelson, is a Lecturer in the Department of Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and also pioneer president and principal member of Amokwu Affa Elite and Development.

Nelson highlighted that Amokwu-Affa is the only town in Udi Local Government Area, if not in the whole Enugu state with zero electricity and other basic infrastructure.

According to him, many local government chairmen had come and gone, many governors had out-lived their tenures, many senators and House of Representatives had also come and gone with their usual lofty promises and lip services on purposeful political dividends but all are a mirage.

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In his words, “It is regrettable to say that many administrations have come and gone, but none had ever remembered this community in terms of democracy dividends and appointments.

“The state and local governments in the past had never reasoned to give this community a sense of belonging through – at least, tarring the road linking Umuoka to Amokwu-Affa, Inoyi, Amozalla down to Ogor, Umukoloma and Ikono communities that made up of Affa.

“The natives of Amokwu-Affa had been taken aback, over prevailing discrimination in the provision of basic infrastructure and the age-long none inclusiveness in democratic dividends and political appointments that have bedeviled the community in both the past and present, wondering if the Affa community especially Amokwu Affa is still part of Enugu state?

“We equally wonder if the senator representing our Enugu-West senatorial district – Sen. Ikekwere Mmadu and our House of Representative – Hon. Dennis Amadi (Admiral) still have the interest of this community at heart?”

The educationist also lamented over none inclusion of Amokwu-Affa precisely and other Affa communities in the affairs of Enugu State over the decades.

He, therefore, appealed to major stakeholders and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi to incorporate these communities especially Amokwu-Affa in the ongoing winds of massive rural infrastructural developments in Enugu State.

“I equally use this medium to appeal to the state government, Senator and House of Assembly representatives in persons of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, and Hon. Dennis Amadi respectively to include Amokwu-Affa and other Affa autonomous communities in their lists of rural development interventions and philanthropic gestures”.

Nelson reiterated that Amokwu-Affa is the largest town in Udi LGA and the only community in Enugu state if not in the whole South-East without electricity in this 21st Century.