A Story of Neglect
David-Chyddy Eleke who took a tour of communities in Anambra North Local Government Area, with special emphasis on Amanuke community, reports that theirs is a tale of total neglect and near absence of government
David-Chyddy Eleke who took a tour of communities in Anambra North Local Government Area, with special emphasis on Amanuke community…
Awka North is one Anambra council areas that is made up of mostly agrarian communities, and is just few kilometres drive from Awka metropolis, which is the state capital of Anambra State. Despite this nearness to the capital, despite being renowned as the food basket of the state, communities that make up the local government have been condemned to lack and suffering as a result of decay in infrastructure and other amenities that can make life easy for the people.
Approaching Awka North LGA from Awka metropolis through Oby Okoli Road, off the Enugu/Onitsha Expressway into Mgbakwu, one is first greeted by the absence of good road, better still, a dusty or muddy road, depending on the day’s weather on the day of visit or the season of the year one visits. Through Urum, Awba Ofemili, Ebenebe, Achalla the headquarters of the local government and Amanuke, the story is the same thing. In some parts of the council area, two neighbouring communities have been severed by fallen bridges, leading to a total absence of access to each other, while accessing the state capital, a journey of most times less than 10 kilometres, the indigenes have to go through about three local government areas to return back to the state capital.
In this way, their claims of being the food basket of the state have been diminished as their food stuff remain with them until traders find their way into the villages to buy their yams, cassava, garri and others at totally give away prices, only to sell back at cut throat prices as a result of money spent on high transportation.
During a visit to Amanuke village, one of the communities that make up Awka North LGA, THISDAY gathered that the community despite being home to several millionaires, and also aides to the governor of Anambra State, the community has suffered neglect in all areas, ranging from healthcare, roads, schools, potable water and other basic infrastructure. The erosion ravaged community a source said has suffered bad roads from the creation of the new Anambra State, and successive governments have failed to recognise or even fix its amenities, leaving the people in want.
The Awka North General Hospital sited in Amanuke, said to be built by community effort in the '70s is one example of the decay. The mighty edifice, standing in the middle of an expansive compound has been abandoned for many years, leaving it to serve as a pen for goats and shelter for village miscreants. Our guide, Mr. Emmanuel Obinna told THISDAY that the hospital is supposed to serve the entire Awka North, but because of the abandonment of the property as a result of refusal by medical doctors to be resident in the area, residents have to source alternative means to access healthcare.
“A lot of us who still believe in western medicine patronise chemists here, they are the people that check us at least through the duration of the pregnancy. We also access our routine drugs from them. It is during delivery that we now go to Urum, where there is a healthcare post for delivery. Going to Urum is not also easy because the road is bad, so most times we have to use motorcycle to get to the place,” a rural woman told this reporter.
Mrs. Uju Onwunyelu, another rural woman who sells cassava at the popular Orie Amanuke told THISDAY that, “We have a lot of challenges in this town, but chief among them is the absence of a hospital.” He lamented that as a result of this, pregnant women, children and other sick people have to rely on patent medicine dealers for their health needs, and that they have to go to Urum, a neighbouring community each time a woman is to be delivered of a baby, while the condition has forced many to use traditional birth attendants, who are cheaper and more accessible, as there exists one in almost every family.”
Another respondent, Mrs. Grace Okafor, a farmer tasked government on roads, saying the lack of good roads was hindering them from selling their farm produce upon
During a visit to Amanuke village, one of the communities that make up Awka North LGA, THISDAY gathered that the community despite being home to several millionaires, and also aides to the governor of Anambra State, the community has suffered neglect in all areas, ranging from healthcare, roads, schools, potable water and other basic infrastructure