Amankwo Oghe community protests poor infrastructure

Residents of Amankwo Oghe in Ezeagu council, Enugu State have appealed to the state government to intervene in their plight as the area suffers poor infrastructural facilities.

They lamented that development has eluded the area with the only access road from the Afor-Orie market, in impassable condition due to gullies erosion and other challenges.

Despite its population estimated at over two million and location at the heart of Ezeagu council, the community lacks electricity and its inhabitants drink from the stream. The only water scheme that the Enugu State government embarked upon in the community in 2009 was abandoned midway.

The Guardian found that: ”There is no secondary school in the community. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to access the only nearby secondary school, Amansi Odo, while the Community Primary School located in the area are buildings seriously dilapidated. In fact, the roof of one of the classrooms has been blown away by wind, even as some students are said to be taught sitting on the floor with their teacher writing on the walls due to lack of blackboards.”

Disturbed by the development, the community took to the streets with placards and inscription such as: “No road; no water; no school; no government presence; we are only remembered during elections; Marginalisation of Amankwo must stop; Our Mumu don do; what is Amankwo Oghe’s offence that it has been abandoned by the state government?.”
Speaking during the protest, and indigene of the area, Dr. Felix Aniebo, lamented that it is painful that the only primary school in the community where he taught as a teacher several years ago now lacked basic facilities for learning.

He said: “The teachers write on the school walls for the students because there are no blackboards while the pupils sit on the floor to learn due to lack of chairs and desks,” he told The Guardian, while pointing towards the part of the school block whose roof had been pulled off.

I went to school in this Community Primary School, Amankwo Oghe. Not only that I went to school here, I taught Primary three class in this school before I went to Overseas. We are not happy and that is why you see the indigenes protesting this neglect and sorry situation. There are no projects except the ones built by individuals in this community. No electricity. No secondary school. The government does not consider us as part of the communities in the state.”

He added: “We have made several efforts to present our case to top government functionaries. We have met our representatives at the House of Assembly, Chima Obieze. We are asking the government to consider the fact that we are part of the state and come to our aid”

Another indigene, Mrs. Chinyere Oguanya, said several letters had been written in the past and presented to the state government on the need to address the infrastructure challenges in Amankwo Oghe but no positive response.

On their part, John Nzekwe and Ozo Oguwnetugo Kenneth said: “What is happening here is bad. We cannot enjoy good living. We are tired of this.”