Ebonyi state PDP secretarial, Nwoba Chika Nwoba discusses the troubling state of Abakaliki, highlighting the reasons behind the city’s decline and urging the government to focus on meaningful development.
Nwoba Chika Nwoba wrote on his Facebook page about the concerning state of Abakaliki on a Saturday afternoon. The city, which should be bustling with activity, looked deserted. According to Nwoba, people are leaving Abakaliki in large numbers, which is affecting businesses that rely on a strong human presence to thrive. He questioned whether the Ebonyi State Government is even aware or concerned about this exodus, which is driven by various factors such as harsh IGR policies, the destruction of property, intimidation by government-backed agents, and a generally poor business environment.
Nwoba warned that the upcoming demolition of houses at Waterworks would further reduce the city’s population, turning Abakaliki into a “ghost town.” He argued that the road at Waterworks is already broad and does not need dualization. He suggested that the government might be using road expansion as an excuse to destroy the homes of non-Ebonyians out of spite, which he believes would be more of a “war of attrition” than governance.
Apart from the high fuel prices that have caused some people to stop using their vehicles, Nwoba pointed out that Abakaliki is already losing its vibrancy. He criticized the state government for focusing on unnecessary projects like building overhead bridges and dualizing already dualized roads with no traffic issues. He emphasized that development plans should not lead to wasteful projects.
What Ebonyi State needs, according to Nwoba, is human capital development and rural development. These efforts would encourage people to return to the state. He suggested that industrialization, especially utilizing the state’s abundant solid mineral resources, could attract people to Ebonyi and boost economic activities. By focusing on these priorities, Nwoba believes the state could start to see an influx of immigrants and business people, revitalizing Abakaliki.
Nwoba Chika Nwoba’s post calls for a change in the direction of Ebonyi State’s development plans, emphasizing the urgent need to focus on projects that will truly benefit the people and economy.
Below are the image evidence:
See his statement below:👇
The Saturday afternoon’s outlook of the supposed busy axis of Abakaliki. Everywhere looks deserted. People are quitting the city in droves. Businesses thrive only where there’s optimal human population. I don’t know if the Government of Ebonyi is actually bothered by the exodus of people from the city due to many reasons ranging from harsh IGR policy, unwanton plundering of people’s property, intimidation of inhabitants by government-backed agents, poor business atmosphere and many more.
After the destruction of people’s houses at Waterworks coming up soon, the population will drop more and Abakaliki will become a complete ghost town. Waterworks road is already broad. It needs no dualization, unless the government is embarking on a deliberate journey to plunder the houses of non- Ebonyians to score vendetta, using road expansion as a decoy. If this is the case, it’s no longer governance but war of attrition.
Apart from the effects of the hike in fuel pump price that has made some people to park their vehicles, Abakaliki on a normal circumstance is fast drifting to a ghost town. The least of things that the state needs now are overhead bridges and dualization of already dualized roads with no traffic disturbance. Development plan should not be a reason to embark on a needless project.
Ebonyi needs human capital and rural developments urgently. This will help return home the population away. I know that it’ll not be a crime for the government of the state to embark on industrialization, a project that has the potential to attract people into the state and boost economic activities. Nature bestowed upon the state enormous solid mineral resources which are lying untapped in almost all the communities of the state. Why not design a framework that leading to simultaneous and expedient explorations of these minerals in the interest of the state and its teeming population of citizens? It’s by doing these that the state can begin to swell with population of immigrants and business people coming and going on a daily basis.
Sources NCN.
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