The lawmaker representing Ideato Federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has raised an alarm that Ideato was on the verge of extinction due to a lack of security and total collapse of roads.
This is even as the Imo State government has denied the allegation and charged the lawmaker to show the federal projects attracted to Ideato.
Ikenga disclosed while addressing newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Thursday.
The lawmaker said Ideato had been overrun by gully erosions, absence of security, vigilante, water, and near total abandonment by the Imo State Government.
He said, despite the huge monthly allocations for Ideato North and South, the people were worse off, as there was nothing to show for it and that people were being killed.
Ikenga said, “Ideato is at the point of extinction right now if the government does not come to our aid. New erosion sites are springing up daily, and killings have gone out of hand. Whether they are organ harvesters, kidnappers, or separatists, the issue is that it has gone to an alarming situation, and our people are dying.
“Every month, Ideato North and South receive nothing less than three hundred and fifty million Naira (₦350m) each, yet there is nothing to show for it. We are demanding that we can’t continue to live in the bushes while the money meant for development is not used.
We are building water boreholes, renovating schools and markets, supporting families of people killed. As I speak to you, there is no paracetamol in any health centre for our people and yet the Local Government receives nothing less than ₦350million every month and the Chairmen cannot even pay teachers or even pay workers to cut the grass at the local government Secretariat”, he complained.
Further, he called on the Ideato North and Ideato South council Chairmen to disclose what they use the monthly allocations for do as there was no proof of the use.
Ikenga said, “I urge the Chairmen of Ideato North and South local governments to bring the people together to solve the problems of the people. Let them publish the template of the deductions and show us, let us see. And if someone is collecting it, they should tell us so we know”.
On his travails with the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform with which he won the election, Ikenga said it was unfortunate, especially as he was a leading light in the party and helped them to win the Ideato federal constituency.
According to him, the PDP had not treated him well despite the values he had brought to the party.
He said, “I have not been treated well despite my loyalty to the party. If they continue to treat us unfairly, we will move because we are the beautiful bride. I’m still in the PDP, and we are not deciding to move out, but if you don’t treat us well, we will move because I will not go through that crisis that we passed through the last time. We will move anywhere we will have peace. If I pull out, PDP will collapse in Ideato in ten seconds”, Ikenga said, referring to himself and his supporters.
However, the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Strategy, and Public Orientation, Declan Emelumba, in his reaction, debunked the allegations even as he called Ikenga a failed lawmaker.
