Former acting chairman of Oyigbo local government area of Rivers State, Hon Innocent Ajaelu, has accused the state government of neglecting the people of the area despite their contributions to the economy of the country.
Oyigbo LGA, which is located at the boundary between Rivers and Abia states, is the host to Afam Power Station and several other multinational companies.
Ajaelu, who spoke in an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend in Port Harcourt yesterday, said there are no functional roads and hospitals in the entire local government area.
He decried the level of progress so far made by the contractor handling the Oyigbo-Afam Road project, saying that the non-completion of the road has created a lot of suffering for the people of the area.
“I will say the Oyigbo-Afam Road is work in progress but the challenge we have is the neglect, both from the Rivers State government and the contractor.
“The road was awarded the same time the Rumuokwurushi flyover was awarded. The road is just one percent of what was used to construct the flyover. I don’t know why it is taking long time to be completed.
“I don’t want to blame the contractor; I want to blame the Rivers State government. If they had paid the contractor, if there is strong supervision from the Ministry of Works and Commissioner for Works, the project won’t be the way it is. If they had not paid the contractor, he should let us know. So that we can talk.
“The suffering in Oyigbo is too much. People no longer have access to their communities and villages because of the state of that road. The cost of transportation now from Obeakpu to Oyigbo Town is getting to N3,000.
“There is nothing the Rivers State government us doing for us. No road, no hospital, no employment. Oyigbo is neglected; I make bold to say that. We are really neglected,” he said.
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