Umuezekeọha, an Igbo Community in Benue State, has called on the State and Federal government to come for their aids as they have been abandoned and forgotten.
The community which made up of 300 Igbo speaking villages said they lack basic amenities such as; “health centre, political ward, good roads, good water and electricity.”
Their plight came to light after a twitter user put up a post soliciting for help on their behalf.
“State creation like I have written over time is a divide-and-rule system. It has dispersed many of our kith and kin.” – Mazi Ogbonnaya wrote on twitter, while making case for the Igbo descendants, who lost their kit and kins during and after the Nigeria/Biafra civil war in 1967.
According to him, Igbo people can also be found in places like; Oju, Okpoku, Ado and Obi – all in Benue State.
Revealing more about Umuezekeọha, Mazi Ogbonnaya said the community should be in Ebonyi State following their close link with the Ezaa Ezekụna (a community in Ebonyi State).
“Their names correspond with theirs as well. They bear Nweke, Nwalị, etc.” – says Ogbonnaya, a renowned Igbo Author and Storyteller.
These are misplaced and abandoned Igbo minority women in Benue, in search of water. The water is not even good. They have to queue up before fetching, that's after trekking kilometres. Children die due to lack of immunization. RT please. They need help. They seriously need help. pic.twitter.com/QyTPbQ9nz7
— Maazị Ogbonnaya Okoro (@maazi_ogbonnaya) May 15, 2021
He said; “The worst of everything is they have been abandoned by both Local, State and Federal Government.
“There is no basic amenities. No water, no road, no electricity, no healthcare. The indigenes are frustrated. The Benue State government doesn’t recognize them neither does Ebọnyị State government they are more closer to, which the latter is understandable. They’re not in Ebọnyị.
“The only Primary School there was built by the missionaries during the colonial era. The structures have been dilapidated. They are in Benue South. Before Independence and War of 1967-1970, they used to experience government attention. But after the war they’re abandoned.
Mazi Ogbonnaya further revealed that the President of Igbo Union in Umuezekeọha community, Mr. Nweke Ifeanyị had approached him on Facebook and narrated their plights.
He quoted him as said;
“We’re lacking so many things, including a health centre, political ward, good roads, good water, electricity. There is no salary earner in our place to the extent that the mosquito treated insecticide nets given freely by the federal government was sold to us at the rate of N6,000 some even paid without claiming it”.
“The villagers trek 30 kilometers before they get water in the dry season. They wish there is other country closer they could beg for acceptance, because Nigeria abandoned them,” – Mazi Ogbonnaya stated.
