By DEBORAH COKER

The Owan/Akoko-Edo Alliance, a socio-cultural group, has blamed the underdevelopment of the areas on political marginalisation by successive governments in Edo.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Sunny Ifijen, Convener of the group and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Abuja.

Ifijen alleged that Owan East, Owan West and Akoko-Edo Local Government Areas in the Edo North Senatorial District have over the years been alienated by successive governments in the state.

He claimed that such alienation manifested in key appointments at both federal and state levels since the current democratic dispensation.

He said It also reflected in the distribution of infrastructural and developmental projects from both state and national governments.

Ifijen said the situation give the people of the affected areas to feel like ‘second class citizens’ in their country.

Ifijen said that the 2024 governorship election in the state had therefore presented itself for the two Owan and Akoko-Edo to speak with one voice in pursuance of their common cause.

According to him, Owan and Akoko-Edo has become a common political toy used by every politician in every election year only to be discarded thereafter.

“It is funny that since 1999, the highest federal appointment the area got is Special Adviser to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo in the person of Prof. Julius Ihonvbere.

“Every successive government in the state has always cornered all the key federal appointments to the areas.

“This is the same situation with any developmental projects to the zone that always end up in Etsako.

“Even at the state level, our people also have suffered a similar fate.

“A former governor of the state whom we relied on to be the one to stop this seeming marginalisation became the harbinger of the worst to come’’, he said.

The convener added that Etsako had in two successions produced two ministers courtesy of the former governor.

“We just had a momentary recognition through the Godwin Obaseki-led administration who had selected two of our sons as Speaker of the state House of Assembly as well as the Deputy Governor of the state.

“I still consider this a momentary victory because we all know that the appointment of the Deputy Governor was as a result of the impeachment of the former”, he said.

He therefore urged Owan and Akoko-Edo to take their destiny in their hands by voting for a governor who would change the narrative on Sept. 21.

“We can only do this by being united and speaking with one voice on Sept. 21”, he said. (NAN)