Indigenes of the 10 communities that make up Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State are in pain over the alienation of their communities from the capital territory by bad roads.

The local government area which is predominantly agrarian in nature and referred to as the food basket of the state have been stuck with their agricultural produce, as they cannot move them to town for sale. A former local government chairman of the area, Chief Dennis Ngene said the condition had reached a time when the people of the local government had no choice but to cry to the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, to come to their aid.

“The situation is no longer funny,” Ngene said. “How can we be a part of the state capital territory and yet be alienated from it because of bad road?”

“We can no longer go to our villages, I am a leader in my community but for two months now I have not gone home, I have been stuck in Awka, just because the road has broken down. My community is Ebenebe, and it is less than 20 kilometers from the government house, Awka.”

Ngene lamented that food produce from the area was now useless because after harvesting, traders who buy in commercial quantity cannot go into the area to buy as they used to do, and the people cannot also bring them to town to make sales.

He said the condition of the people in the area was so bad that those in the village have remained there perpetually, and indigenes of the village who live outside cannot also visit.

“The rainy season has worsened the situation for us. Governor (Willie) Obiano was in the area during the campaign period, and he promised he was going to build the road, which is just a single road linking the communities to Awka, but he has abandoned it.

“It is so bad that the communities cannot even visit themselves. For people from Achalla and other communities in the northern part of the local government, they have to travel through three local government area from Awka here before they can get home. But for us at Ebenebe, you cannot access the community by any available road.

“We have made several efforts to meet with the commissioner for works, but all efforts have been futile. We are calling on him to please help us alleviate the plight of our people,” Ngene pleaded. (THISDAY)

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