Just like the situation in oil producing communities in Niger Delta areas, Amakama community in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State have accused the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) of wickedness and insensitivity.
According to the Amakama natives, the federal road maintaining agency has refused to fix the major and connecting roads in their villages despite the fact that they gave FERMA their lands to serve as its construction base.
In reaction, they have told FERMA to fix the dilapidated roads or be ready to be ejected from the community.
These were contained in a two-page protest letter the members of various communities read in Umuahia during their protests against FERMA and its parent body, the federal ministry of works and housing.
The protesters were led by Comrade Ugochukwu Emeruwa and other Presidents-general of various communities in Amakama.
They first visited the Abia State office of Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in Umuahia before arriving at FERMA operational base at Isi Court junction, off Afor Ibeji centre.
According to the Amakama indigenes, Amakama which is the first part of Ururuka road has been in terrible conditions even when Amakama land serves as FERMA’s operation base.
They lamented that popular Ururuka road which connects five LGAs in Abia State like Umuahia South, Isisla Ngwa North, Isisla Ngwa South, Obingwa and Aba South councils, started from their community and terminates at Ogbor Hill, Aba.
Regrettably, Amakama roads, according to the protesters, are now death trap as frequent vehicular movements by motorists put more pressure on the already dilapidated roads.
But the stunning angle is that FERMA, according to them, refuses to fix their roads, despite using their lands as a base to repair other communities’ failed roads.
The Abia community accused the federal agency of not keeping to agreements it reached with the host community which included keeping Amakama roads in good conditions, warning that they may revoke the agreement unless FERMA fixed their roads.
One of the protesters who spoke on the matter said, ” How can we be hosting FERMA and they will be preparing other peoples’ roads, leaving our as death trap. Accidents happen here every time. There are no drainage.”
Meanwhile, the people of Emede autonomous community in Umuahia North LGA have presented Sir Allen Okpokiri as their Eze-elect, to replace Eze H.C. Ezekwem, who died in October 2018.
Presenting their new traditional ruler to Chairman of Umuahia North LGA for official recognition, the people of Emede autonomous community who spoke through their President-general, Ugocgukwu Ibe said Sir Okpokiri was a retired permanent secretary who served the government of Abia State and his people with honesty.
Ibe added that after being the only person that picked nomination form for the royal throne, passed through every screening to become the Eze-elect of Emede.
In his address, Hon Ugocgukwu Njinkonye, the LGA Chairman of Umuahia North urged Allen Okpokiri to carry his people along in his leadership policies while the new royal father, Okpokiri promised to rule with fear of God.
