From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Arondizuogu consisting of 20 villages in Ideato North Local Government, Imo State, is synonymous with the promotion and preservation of Igbo culture. It shares boundary with Anambra and Abia states.
It over the years showcased the rich cultural value of the Aro especially the celebration of Ikeji festival. This unique cultural fiesta usually marked for four days with assorted masquerade displays began in the town around 1948 when the maiden Arondizuogu Day took place. With time, it became a cultural hub for the Aro. Also, the event continued to attract participants and visitors from across the globe.
Ikeji Aro is acclaimed to be one the biggest pan-Igbo cultural community festivals. It has strong heritage, international recognition and is witnessed by thousands of people on a yearly basis. It is also touted to be Africa’s greatest carnival of masks and masquerades.
Unfortunately, Daily Sun gathered that the pomp, thrills and frills of the Ikeji Aro have been thoroughly depleted following the dilapidation of the major roads leading to the town. The situation has become so worrisome and frustrating to the natives as visitors rarely attend the annual festival again.
Aside the downturn in patronage of their cultural activities, the economy of the people of Arondizuogu who are predominantly farmers is not spared. Reputed as one of the food baskets of the state, the town produces rice, palm oil, cassava, yam and all types of grain foods.
Just like the festival, the income realised from agriculture has suffered serious setback due to lack of access road to evacuate their produce to other towns and cities. The roads linking the community to Anambra, Enugu and Abia states are all in deplorable state.
Worst affected are the Oba-Arondizuogu-Okigwe federal road, stretching about 22 kilometers, cutting across 100 communities of Anambra, Imo, Rivers, Ebonyi and Abia states, and the Nnewichi-Oba-Amichi Road, which has boundary with Anambra State.
Traditional ruler of Ndiakunwanta Iheme Arondizuogu Autonomous Community, Eze Martin Orizu, said the community also lives in perpetual fear following persistent cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in his domain: “No day passes without an incident of armed robbery and kidnapping on this all important but dilapidated road, which slows down vehicles and provides the opportunity for hoodlums to attack their victims.
“Not only that. Our people, who are predominantly rice farmers, cannot move their farm produce to town because of the bad road.”
He said the ugly trend negatively affected attendance to the historic Ikeji festival: “We pray this does not continue, our culture widely known and respected by everybody may fade away if the government does not come to our aid now.
“Can you imagine that the crowd that is the joy of the celebration is reducing each year the festival is celebrated, this year was not different; we celebrated it recently. And I am sure some people did not even hear of it let alone coming.
“Not even hearing about it is the problem because we created a lot of publicity for it but at the end, we still had low turnout because of the bad road that is the only road they can access to come but I am afraid it has even become a death trap.”
The monarch disclosed that no fewer than 18 cases of kidnapping and armed robbery occurred on the road in the past two years. His counterpart of Iheme Izuogu community, who is also, Chairman, Arondizuogu Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Kosmann Kanu, said they had spent over N5million to make the road passable but noted that their efforts were like dropping a needle in an ocean.
He added that filling stations and some other businesses along the route have all parked up due to poor patronage. He said the road, constructed in 1982 by the administration of Chief Sam Mbakwe has yawned for repair for 15 years: “A construction company belonging to a prominent Imo indigene was awarded a contract of about N12billion by the government to repair the road.”
A petition by the Arondizuogu Patriotic Union (APU), to member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Dr Paschal Obi, said the section of the road done by the firm did not last which prompted them to make another case to the lawmaker to come to their rescue.
The petition, dated February 20, 2020, signed by the President General of the town, Peter Obiagwu and Secretary General Chinedu Okparaeke, noted:
“Since January 2021, the Arondizuogu-Umulolo portion has failed completely. In the past 13 months, the adverse economic impact is severe, worsened by reports of over 15 kidnappings and armed robberies in that stretch of road over the same period.”
Legal adviser of the union, Emeka Ezeoke, said all pleas to the company to fix the road were greeted with empty promises. But in 2019, the company did some remedial work on the road by excavating the top surface, a situation which he said worsened the situation: “The activities of criminals in Ikpaora, Ikpeze Uno, Obiinetiti, Ndimoko Junction have become unabated. Our people are being killed, raped, robbed and dispossessed of their possessions daily.
“We are tired of begging, we want the government to intervene. We are calling on government, relevant bodies, security sector to demand the contractor to fix the road. We can’t sell our farm produce anymore, our economic activities are crumbling, our tourism life is almost non-existent. Government should please save our souls.”
Disturbed by the pathetic development, residents recently took to the streets. The protesters said it was not the first time they would be crying out to the Federal Government over frequent robbery and kidnapping incidents on Arondizuogu Road, the gateway to other communities in the South East.
They carried placards bearing various inscriptions expressing their anger: “The suffering is unbearable.” “Stop killing and stop kidnapping.” “No election here in 2023 unless FG fixes this road.” “Our people are dying.” “Okigwe/Arondizuogu Road has become kidnappers’ den and “We need urgent help.”
They threatened to boycott the 2023 general elections should the Federal Government fail to fix the 51-km road before the polls.
The federal legislator, Obi, confirmed he received a petition from his constituents on the deplorable condition of the road: “I have moved a motion which was adopted and sent to the Committee on Works, and the Federal Government promised to capture the road in the 2023 budget. So, the issue is receiving attention.”