Uli deserves a lot more from Soludo, Anambra

On the very auspicious occasion of the 64th independence anniversary of Nigeria, we greet Governor Soludo and Ndi Anambra most heartily. The event, no doubt, presents us with another opportunity to introspect on the journey so far to nationhood and sustainable development. The ride has been bumpy at times with its numerous highs and lows, and with lots of missed opportunities. But that we are still here as a country, no matter the differences in opinions, dreams and aspirations is perhaps thanks to providence.

Our home town of Uli may have fortuitously played its part in the abiding narrative of Nigeria. If the fated “Last Flight “ out of the secessionist Biafra, had not originated from there, perhaps the fortune of Nigeria as one indivisible country would have been different today. Now, and over 54 years after the unfortunate civil war ended, Uli – the legend – is intact. Whereas, Uli – the town – is in tatters. This is symptomatic perhaps, of how badly the much-trumpeted 3Rs of the federal government in the immediate aftermath of the hostilities, and since then have gone.

To be sure, not all of the misfortune that has befallen the town is down to the neglect of federal and state authorities, as some of it sadly, has been self-inflicted. We are pained to note that since the inception of the present republic in 1999, most of the contracts awarded for the revamp of the infrastructure in the town have mostly gone to indigenes, some of them, rogue contractors, influence peddlers and people who generally have access to the corridors of power but lack the integrity, know-how and the capacity for the jobs assigned them.

It has been a recurring sad decimal, especially since the administration of the late governor of the state, C.C. Mbadinuju, himself an indigene of the town. This sad outcome played out in the contracts to build roads like the Umuagbuchi Nos 1&2 roads, Uli Girls to Mgbachi market road, the Akabauli to Mgbachi to Eziama road, and indeed the reconstruction of the primary schools under former governor, Peter Obi. We are concerned too for the fate of the Rebecca Orjiakor road currently undergoing reconstruction. While we wholeheartedly welcome the kind gesture of your Excellency in awarding the contract for the rehabilitation of the Uli High School, which has served the over 40,000 citizens of the entire Uli communities and the state at large since its founding in 1962, we are worried that it may go the way of the rest.

In its present state, the school is an eyesore with dilapidated infrastructure and inadequate and poorly equipped and motivated personnel, which can hardly make for a conducive environment for proper learning. Some of the blocks in the school have no roofs, no quarters for key staff, no fence and toilets. This shabby state of affairs extends to all of the public schools in the town from primary to secondary, and even to the campus of the Odumegwu Ojukwu University, which is hardly more than a glorified secondary school.

Though stakeholders’ meetings have taken place at the appropriate levels to ensure needed collaboration for the success of the Uli High School project, we are very concerned about who the contractors are for the execution of this project. Going by past failed experiences of poorly executed and many abandoned projects in the town, we ask that a proper evaluation and application of the due process be followed to ensure that the contracts go to very competent entities with proven track record in their fields of operation. It cannot be otherwise, if we want a different outcome this time around. The many sad experiences of the past still loom large, and we can borrow from the recent successes of Enugu and Abia States that have been known not to compromise on quality in handling their projects.

If you would admit, Sir, you probably have a date with destiny in this regard. Given your antecedents as someone who had always sort leadership to make the difference, right from your undergraduate days at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and your highly decorated career at the apex regulatory bank of Nigeria, much is expected of you, even surpassing the records of very successful administrations in the South-East like that of M.I. Okpara, Sam Mbakwe and lately, Peter Obi. History beckons, your Excellency, and about time you rose to the occasion!

There is no running away from the fact that the number one challenge we face as a community and state remains insecurity. Though we must admit that this unfortunate turn of events pre-date your administration, you gave us much reason to believe at your inception that Soludo would find the solution! Sadly, however, more than two years of your administration, the worst kept secret in Uli and most parts of the state is that security is a very rare commodity indeed.

We can at least, speak for Uli and the surrounding communities. The situation today is so bad that if you were planning on holding a burial activity- no one dare talk of marriage and other such convivial engagements – the going formula is enye nde eba, enye nde eba. That’s Igbo for ‘give to each one their due’. Woe betides the intending celebrant who does not know how to settle the vigilance group in the town, and then, the marauding so-called Unknown gunmen. It is the recipe, hopefully, for a peaceful and incident-less conduct of such social engagements. This has left our people to live in perpetual fear of these non-state actors and their egregious collaborators, both within and outside of our communities.

Again, Mr Governor, there is urgent work for you to do here. Are you aware that the villagers are being blackmailed and extorted to pay as much as N2,500 per adult to the vigilance groups and the so-called unknown gunmen? Maybe it is time to copy from the work book of the recently deceased Senator Ifeanyi Uba, who was reported to have implemented a mix of technological innovation and youth empowerment to stymie the onslaught of insecurity in Nnewi and environs with a view to fine-tuning it and replicating it across the state.

It goes without saying that a sense of basic security is sine qua non for rapid and sustainable development in any society, and which is presently lacking in most parts of the state, Uli inclusive.

Everyone knows the perilous state of the economy in the country today, but the situation in Uli is made worse by the depressing conditions of the healthcare facilities. There is no public secondary level hospital in the entire Uli communities. The community health centres are ramshackle and hardly worth the name. The people in most parts depend on half-baked and in most cases, uncertified health practitioners and faith healers, who have taken quackery and their dark arts to previously unknown dimensions.

Someone, especially those who have taken the oath of office for the public good, must step up to save our people from further punishment in the hands of these soulless men and women. And the buck stops on your table, your Excellency. We believe that you can rise to the occasion. Just like you did when you ordered fixing of the Eziama-Uli erosion site, which large portions had succumbed to terrible erosion and dilapidation. More of such initiatives for Uli are welcome Sir.

Uli, given her very strategic location and antecedents in our history both as a state and even country, has the great potential to contribute to the rapid expansion of the IGR of our state, if its resources are properly harnessed. What is wrong with having a war museum built from the relics and sites of the civil war that still exist in the town? That way our children and future generations to come can learn from the failings and challenges of our heroes past and the road not travelled. Is it a surprise, therefore, that today we are still in the grip of secessionist agitations in the South-East with the attendant negative impact on precious lives, property and the economy generally?

The present state of Uli is far from cheering. The town does not have the most basic of amenities. Not even public water and running taps to alleviate the grave health concerns of the people. We are tempted to ask, therefore, if it is a sin to hail from Uli or even Anambra State as a whole today? Mr Governor, the clock is ticking fast and there is need for your urgent and concerted effort to remedy the situation and bring back hope to our long-suffering people.

Obileri and Nwaneti are chiefs of Uli Community.