Kogi community seeks govt’s intervention on roads, health facility

A sociocultural group, the Orokere-Amuro Welfare Association (OWA) in Orokere Amuro, has appealed to state and local governments in Kogi State to rehabilitate the deteriorated roads and provide a modern healthcare facility in the community.

The National President of OWA, Mr Segun Peter, made the call during the 2024 Orokere Day celebration and fundraising ceremony at Orokere-Amuro in Mopamuro Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi State.

Peter described Orokere Day as a special day reserved for the celebration of Orokere Amuro’s rich and alluring cultural heritage, tradition, and unity.

According to him, the day presents an opportunity for enhanced cohesiveness, an increased sense of community awareness among sons and daughters of Orokere Amuro, as well as providing the bigger synergy required to embark on community self-help projects.

“Over the years, the proceeds of donations from the events have been judiciously used to solve myriads of community needs in terms of social infrastructure and others.

“Thus, one of the features of this year’s event is to raise N50,000,000 for the completion of the ongoing Orokere Amuro Townhall project.

“The project, upon completion, will be of immense benefit to our community,” Peter said.

He, therefore, urged the sons and daughters of the community to always remember home and collectively contribute their quota towards addressing the pressing needs of the community for the benefit of the people.

Peter appealed to the state and local governments to come to the aid of the community in rehabilitating the dilapidated township roads as well as upgrading the community Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) to a modern health facility.

Peter also called for youth empowerment, especially in agriculture with farm inputs, noting that some of the youths were already engaging in farming activities.

“Currently, our major focus is to complete our town hall, which will provide an avenue for community engagement and several occasions that will unite the community.

“Beyond the town hall, we want the government to help in rehabilitating our community roads that have been destroyed by erosion and are no longer motorable.

“We need government intervention to put our community roads in good shape because the roads were never like that before.

“We also lack a quality healthcare centre because as big as Orokere is, there is no modern hospital; all we have are clinics that attend to minimal health issues.

“To get quality medical service, we have to travel very far, with many risks attached to it.

“With government support, the existing primary healthcare centre can be upgraded to a cottage hospital. We would appreciate it if the government can come to our aid in this direction.

“We want the government to also empower them with farm inputs to improve their farming activities now that attention is being shifted away from white-collar jobs.

“We have many of our youths who are already engaging in agriculture, and they need to be supported. This would go a long way in helping the wellness of our community,” Peter said.

In his remarks, the member representing Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Reps, Elder Leke Abejide, congratulated the people of the Orokere community for their celebration and urged them to continue to sustain peace and harmony in the entire Yagba land.

Abejide, who was represented by Amb. Dr. Samuel Babatunde (aka Esanuaje), assured the people of Orokere of his support towards the completion of the town hall and other developmental projects for the benefit of the community.

The royal fathers of the day, the Elulu of Mopaland, HRM Oba Muyiwa Ibeun; and the Alamuro of Amuroland, HRM Oba Alfred Modupe Aiyedogbon, said the celebration had been fostering unity and peaceful coexistence among Mopamuro communities.

The Elulu, who is the Chairman of the Mopamuro Traditional Council and represented by the Oba of Odole-Mopa, Barr. Bayo James, stressed that such gatherings had engendered continuous peace and progress in Mopamuro land.

The Alamuro noted that Orokere has remained a pace-setter and one of the leading communities in Amuro land, adding that the celebration is also a way to showcase their various cultural heritage.

The Alamuro urged other Amuro communities to emulate what Orokere is doing in community development through fundraising, saying the government cannot do it alone.

“We should not wait for the government or politicians to do all the developmental projects in our communities because the government cannot do it alone,” the Alamuro said.

Also speaking, Commodore Michael Folusho Daniel (retd), a former Kogi Assembly lawmaker who represented Mopamuro constituency, said Orokere community has remained united and peaceful with self-help developmental efforts.

He urged various communities to continue to help themselves in addressing some of their challenges while looking forward to government assistance to come, stressing that self-help remains the best form of help.

Daniel, who is the Asiwaju of Orokere and Akingbade of Amuroland, stressed the need for the government to improve the condition of the youths through job creation and empowerment programmes.

He also commended Governor Ahmed Ododo for his tremendous achievements within his short term in office, saying he had started on a good footing and urged him to sustain his good work.

In their separate interviews with newsmen, Hon. Komolafe Dennis, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Inter-Party Affairs, and Hon. Bukola Obajemu, LG Special Assistant to the Governor and former Vice Chairman of Mopamuro, both expressed their gratitude to God for making the Orokere Day a reality.

They stressed that the essence of the celebration was to foster unity and peace in the community while urging the youths to always get engaged and embrace hard work.

Hon. Dennis urged the community youth at home and in the diaspora to always associate themselves with Orokere Day celebrations as a way of fostering unity and showcasing the cultural heritage of the community.

The highlights of the occasion include cultural displays, fundraising, free medical services, and award presentations to Orokere sons and daughters who have made tremendous impacts in the community through their commitment and selfless services.

There was also the delivery of a public lecture, which centred on “the Need for Unity, Commitment, and Selflessness as Keys to Better Community Development,” as well as a variety of programmes such as a football match, Orokere local food delicacies like Popolo and Papa, among others.