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By Rejoice Ihedioha
Residents of Ndiewerre community, Orlu, in Orlu local government area of Imo State have cried out over the dilapidated condition of their link road and wondered why the state government has abandoned them.
A stakeholder in the community, Sir Adolphus Okwaranonobi on Sunday February 19, 2022,while conducting some journalists round the erosion site said, it is regrettable that the governor has not deemed it fit to fix this Umudioka, Morning star secondary school, Amaezie Umuna road which recently took life of an innocent boy during last rainy season.He added that if nothing urgent is done now, the next season will be more destructive and more lives may be lost.
Speaking further he said,”during the rainy season, you cannot pass through here because of gullies that were allowed to develop without attention for four to five years. The deep gullies are beyond the community .My people are doing their best trying to put some of the gutters and the culverts together so that people can move freely. This is because we are situated within a place that experience heavy downpour for four to five months. So if the roads remain unchannelled, the floods will not have way to pass “,he said.
He added that before the war the population was less, but has increased now. So also is the number of people who are settling in the town. A lot of people have now moved in to Orlu, adding that some establishments are located in the village including the Evergreen Pharmaceutical company which is situated in the village, stating that it would be a problem for them to move in their goods because the roads are terrible.
“Last season, we lost a child because her mother was trying to cross the road and unfortunately she fell into the flood along Morning star road”.
He went further to plead for government intervention and focus on these areas as students use it and to avoid such occurrences again, stating that government should bring in surveyors and companies to look at the road and put it in order.
The chief of Ndiowerre village, Chidiebere Chimara who is also staff of Ojemba FM radio Orlu added that the state of the roads in Ndiowerre village is pathetic and annoying because some people in the past used the same roads to play politics and it is no longer a thing anyone can toy with.
” This community accommodates Girl’s secondary School Orlu, Practicing school 2 Orlu, National primary health centre Orlu, Evergreen Pharmaceutical company and the same road has links to the Amaigbo road, Amaraku, Agbaja, Ihiala,Nkwerre and other areas. Infact this community is at the center linking all the nooks and crannies but there is no accessibility”, he stated.
He added that during the rainy season, the students of the aforementioned schools find it difficult to go to school and the classes are scanty because of the erosion and really needs urgent attention of the government.
