10/01/2023
UPON ALL THAT WE SUFFERED; THEY DIDN'T CARE
BY:
IHEJIRIKA BENEDICT CHIDI.
It's disheartening when one is in pain, close allies disassemble from him/her. There are people that must align with your challenges whenever they come. Each time the odds happen and we don't get that level of concern and affection from such people, it leaves us to aw.
It's good we keep the records so that, things don't get twisted because when these things aren't documented, denial is very apt to achieve. The saying that, "the faintest pen is sharper than the fastest brain becomes an erudite thing to do.
REPRESENTATION is a holistic approach that contains deep retrospect of the people in question. Their core burdens are brought before the government mostly when it's very expedient to do. The system of legislation in NIGERIA enhances a free flow of information therefrom in disseminating and receiving one.
It's not news of all that happened in IZOMBE, a beautiful town in OGUTA LGA, IMO STATE in the year 2022 and even before. The challenges were so pronounced, and debilitating. The people of the clan SUFFERED immeasurably and it's alarming that, where we were supposed to have succour, we never had.
A big denial, abandonment and neglect was all we had from;
#.
#.
#; members representing our entire constituencies from LGA, FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY and SENATORIAL ZONE.
Before I shade lights into this wickedness against a lovely people made specially by the maker of all things, it's good we have a little information about the economic life of the COMMUNITY in discuss.
IZOMBE is a metropolitan and cosmopolitan town due to her location amongst her neighbouring and sister Communities. Conspicuously, you find the town along Ogbaku-Oguta road that terminates at the lake. It traverse other roads from there that leads to Rivers state from or around this axis. This linear settlement gives IZOMBE a beautiful location that makes the economy of the whole area thrive within her ambience.
Izombe has the largest and viable market popularly known as "OGBAFOR MARKET" in the metropolis. The market is very potent on every AFOR MARKET DAYS as tradition and culture demands. Each of the days in the week, is a beehive of economic activities. In the AFOR market day in question, a minimum of fifty million naira is always in circulation, but on daily basis, a minimum of thirty million.
This statistics is obvious and I will narrate some here.
In the town, we have basically twenty three(23) villages. Each of them houses nothing less than 5000 people. Therein, we have a minimum of 5shops that sells variety of goods as is common in local shops in the country. These shops from my estimation has nothing less than #200 000 worth of goods. On daily basis, they make a minimum sale of #5000 each. Make the calculation and see the amount sold by the number of shops daily.
More to it, we have a minimum of 2 lotto shops in each of these villages that makes sales not less than #10000 each.
We have a minimum of 20 POS points in the community that harbours a minimum of #1 000 000 each. We have nothing less than 20 betting and pool shops. Each translates nothing less than #20000 daily. We have two basic fuel stations and huge black market dealers amongst others.
We have a minimum of 5 hotels in the town that contains a minimum of 10rooms that are occupied every day at the rate of #5000 per room.
We have nothing less than 20bars and restaurants that are domicile in the community. Each makes a minimum sale of nothing less than #20000 daily. We equally have other businesses thriving massively like:
*Cyber cafes and computer centres,
*Cake makers,
*Snacks dealers,
*Moi moi and local africa salad dealers and more to it.
Basically, we have chemist shops, hospitals, huge beer and soft drinks distributors, huge provisions shops, farms(farms worth not less than one billion naira), oil companies, building materials dealers and lots more.
In ogbafor market and on its day like I pointed out, the businesses that translates there is nothing less than #30 000 000. On its basic market day, bags of rice, beans, flour, salts, sugar, garri and more are sold in quantum. All sorts of goods from the agricultural base thrives heavily thus; bunches of bananas, plantains, vegetables, cassava, palm fruits and lots. These cash crops are sold in their overwhelming numbers because other sister Communities come on board for their transactions too since the market remains the hub for these activities.
Truth is, Izombe is basically the second largest economy in OGUTA LGA if not the first. My statistics may not be too finite but I see the LGA headquarters as the largest considering other trending institutions there though a discuss for another day.
This is IZOMBE in view economically though not comprehensively listed. The little narratives like I told us from the beginning is sure, not only amazing but scholarly deposed to see how wonderful we have grown economically.
A Community that houses nothing less than 100 000 residents, contains visitors from these sister Communities in unquantifiable numbers and have lived peaceably so well that, I can adduce that, before the dreaded onslaught against the community, she was one of the most peaceful Community ever as far as the vicinity is concerned. It's memorable to let us know that, this clan houses two major oil companies operating peacefully without any agitation against them as against what is obtainable in other climes with same feature.
In all these, methinks, we have all that is needed to be reverred from these REPRESENTATIVES of ours. The good aspect of a good REPRESENTATIVE is to have a PREVAILING information about the people being REPRESENTED. If in the happenstances thus far in IZOMBE, where these features of this Community economically has been lost due to the situation we found ourselves lately doesn't occur to these REPRESENTATIVES to do something meaningfully for the Community, then, what's the essence of their said REPRESENTATION.
One thing that is most painful is that, our reps didn't see anything wrong in what we have lost as a people.
*They didn't visit us.
*They didn't make a legislation for us.
*They didn't create an inquiry nor did they make any effort to bring our challenges before any of the Chambers they found themselves.
The import of their actions is not unfathomable again, it speaks volume of how much hate they have for us. If we can loose lives, properties and right to live, yet, they didn't make any efforts in ensuring our succour, restoration and more, it should be the concern IZOMBIANS must address in toto. What's the need in having them when they have failed conspicuously in their basic assignment.
Rather, what they do is shift blames and curl it in a way that is so despicable to hear. The exemptions they take for non performance generally is so excruciating to contain. They will boldly select that which is their functions and shift grounds. I make bold to ask, what are their functions.
When they are engaged in the basics that should embrace, they fail aloof.
*Oversight, I am not part of it.
*Project, not my duty but that of the EXECUTIVES.
*Legislation, that's my only business, since that's your only business, which motions have you move at the floor of the different Chambers you are into that should cushion further anomalies of sort and remedy the effects on ground.
*Empowerment, very weak, separatist and a balderdash that shouldn't be discussed at all.
Sometimes, I wonder what ROCHAS in particular did with all the SENATORIAL monies meant for us for four years even though, I am aware that, the duo of HON BARR FRANK UGBOMA and HON KINGSLEY harboured theirs for their lost second term bid. Chei! "Ndi a tiri anyi Mmahu". In all these recorded failures, they still have the effrontery to look iys in the eyes and ask for our votes, is this not so debasing.
Hmmm! It's still unimaginable to see these conspiracy against us but thanks be to God, we have a robust escape from these ;
.
and
will harness us into reality.
This team will synergize advertently to ensure our rebuild and restoration. They will bring the needed REPRESENTATION that shall reflect the wishes of the people. They will be on hand to take our pains together and appropriate adequately.
A vote for them is a vote for total emancipation.
I write from my beautiful Community, IZOMBE.
