Image of Prince Kelly Udebhulu (Reporter)
The
Urohi community in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State has
appealed to Governor Adams Oshiomhole for fair representation and
infrastructural renewal in the area.
The
community made the appeal at a press conference organised by Urohi
Leadership Council under the leadership of Mr Akomen Adaghe, a lawyer,
in Benin City.
The
council alleged that Urohi citizens were marginalised from the state
political structure in particular and the country in general, suggesting
that if the trend is not checked, the capacity for a rapid political
and infrastructural development in the kingdom will be slow.
The council’s position, which is to urge “His Excellency,
Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomonle to ensure that an Urohi citizen is
appointed among his aides, member of board of state establishment and
parastatals for a fair representation in our nascent democracy”.
Stressing
that the community turned out massively to ensure Oshiomhole’s victory
at the polls, Adaghe said, “the good people of Urohi rely on
His Excellence for the much needed infrastructural development in the
Kingdom. The Edo State Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Programme
should focus on the comparative advantage of Urohi to raw materials for
production, by establishing SME plants in the kingdom.”
“The
over 20,000 inhabitants of Urohi have no access to clean and potable
water, apart from the one sited in Eguare which is an unimaginable
distance to more than 70 per cent of the citizens; the governor should
be mindful of the fact that to whom much is given, much is expected,”
Adaghe said.
The
council further called for the extension of the “Red Roof” project
syndicated by the United Nations, UNICEF Assisted Projects, European
Union Assisted Projects, UNESCO, World Bank, National Capital
Development Fund assisted projects, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
support programmes and other international non-governmental agencies
meant for rural areas to be extended to Urohi community.
“So
much has been said of the teeming rural communities in Nigeria today
that have benefited immensely from international agencies and donors,
but Urohi Kingdom has suffered so much neglect. Urohi is the food basket
of Esan West and contributes massively to the local, state and national
gross domestic product. Urohi ranks among the fifth highest producers
of pineapple, timber, yam and cassava in Nigeria, yet not one processing
plant is available,” stressed Adaghe.
The
council expressed its gratitude to His Royal Highness Zaki Aidenojie I,
the Onogie of Urohi, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale, Hon. Godsent Akhabue and
other notable personalities in the community for their achievements so
far, which include the connection of Urohi to the national grid,
provision of potable water in Eguare Urohi, and the ongoing construction
work on the Niger Delta Development COmmission Road Project which they required a speedy conclusion.
The
council called on the people of Urohi to support their traditional
institution “with all zeal and the government of the day so that the
people of Urohi can demand for their fair rights on both human and
capital development.”
Reporter: Prince Kelly Udebhulu
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