Dickson Okafor  

The people of Nzerem community, in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State, have, for long, lamented the deplorable condition of roads in the area. This they blame on their representatives at various levels who they claim have abandoned the area.

The people were elated recently when the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Ehime Mbano State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Emeka Nduka, visited the community to see the condition of roads in the area.

The lawmaker said he was in the area to assess the condition of infrastructure, adding that his surprise visit to the community was informed by over two decades of lamentation of neglect by the people. He recalled how he stumbled on a series of letters the community addressed to his predecessor, Lawman Duruji, lamenting the deplorable condition of roads and other infrastructures in the area.

He was unhappy at the level of neglect and abandonment of roads in the area, which he described as official negligence, and wondered how the community that produces 80 per cent of food consumed in the state had been completely isolated from nearby communities and markets as a result of erosion.

Nduka promised to influence the commencement of construction and rehabilitation of some roads in area, noting that, as the food basket of the state, the community was economically viable.

Said he: “I am disturbed by the deplorable condition of roads in your community, and I promise you that something drastic will be done to ameliorate the condition of roads here.”

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A prominent son of the community, Chief Linus Onyenanu, praised Nduka for coming to their aid after many years of neglect and marginalisation, stressing that, since the lawmaker was elected, the people of Nzerem have heaved a sigh of relief, believing his representation would bring succour to them.

He said the area had not witnessed any meaningful government presence after electricity was brought to the area by the late Anthony Uchegbu, who represented Ehime Mbano State Constituency in the State House of Assembly between 1979 and 1983.

He said: “I want to express disappointment and worries over the worsening state of roads in Nzerem, especially during the rainy season. The community has been cut off as a result of the collapse of the only bridge that linked us to other communities, thereby making my people go through untold hardship daily due to the condition of roads in the area.”

He narrated how peasant farmers suffer while trying to access other communities or move their produce to nearby markets, adding that most children can no longer get to their schools because erosion has cut their villages from where the schools are situated.

Onyenanu also lamented the frustration of priests posted to the area, in trying to get to their parishes, as a result of bad state of the roads. He pleaded with the lawmaker to fulfill his promise to transform the area and open up Nzerem through the construction of better roads.

He commended the lawmaker for standing with Governor Hope Uzodinma through his judicial struggle, which he said ended on a good note. He appealed to Nduka to draw the attention of the governor to the plight of the people of Nzerem.

The lawmaker later inspected some of the roads, accompanied by some leaders of the community, including the Umuaguma/Umuopara Nsu, Afor Ebu Umunumo/ Umuosu/Alike, Isieke/Umueleawo and Umuezeala/Ezeoke roads, all in Umuoma Nzerem. They also inspected some roads in Dioka Nzerem and those in Dioka Afor Nzerem/Nkwo Dioka and Nkwo Dioka/ Obollo/Eke Ikpa roads.