Ngor Okpala Youth Assembly task their leaders, others on development
The Ngor Okpala Youth Assembly, an umbrella body of all youths and youth organization in the various communities of the Local Government, has expressed dissatisfaction with the level of marginalization of Ngoor Okpala people which the attributed to the in-fighting and unpatriotic actions, and or omissions of their leaders.
The youth Assembly who made their views known in a welcome address delivered in the houses of some selected prominent sons of the LGA recently who include His Royal Highness Eze Fredrick Nwachukwu represented by Nze Meshack Ikea, Col. Iheanacho Lambert, Dr. Jude Njoku among others stated that “we have been so maltreated by previous and even the current government especially in the areas of infrastructure and political appointments”.
Here is the full text of the welcome address as delivered by Comrade Martin Opara an executive member of the group:
The Ngor Okpala Youth Assembly is an umbrella body of all youths and youth organization in the various communities of the Local Government. It was born out of the desires of young people in Ngor Okpala for rapid infrastructural and human development. It tends to re-kindle the economic and political consciousness of the people of Ngor Okpala which dwindled over the years, causing us a great deal of backwardness, underdevelopment and marginalization.
Sir, our visit today is a wake up visit. We have come to express our dissatisfaction with the level of marginalization of Ngor Okpala which is attributable to the in-fighting and unpatriotic actions, and or omissions of some of our leaders.
We have come with a message which we expect that you communicate to other Ngor Okpala leaders and political elites. It is a message for action; we have been so maltreated by previous and even the current government especially in the areas of infrastructure and political appointments. Sir, it is important we re-emphasize the following which are evidence of the marginalization and humiliation Ngor Okpala has suffered.
Political representation: no ngor okpala son or daughter has had the opportunity of being a Governor, Deputy Governor, Senator, Minister, Ambassador or Chairman of a major Federal or State Board or parastatal in the present political dispensation but other LGAs have done so. Even the House of Representatives seat which belongs to us and the Aboh Mbaise LGA has been denied us for the past ten years. This is regrettable especially as we were meant to understand that there is an agreement between Ngor Okpala and Aboh Mbaise which made Hon. Greg Egu and other Ngor Okpala sons and daughters to concede the House of Reps seat to Aboh Mbaise in 2003.
Because of the denial of the above positions, we the youths have suffered untold hardship and our people and area, suffered under-development. To state the obvious, employment opportunities in juicy Federal and State Ministries and parastatals are eluding us. The opportunities for recruitment of our youths into the Army, Navy, SSS, Police, Civil Defence and other military and paramilitary formations are also eluding us.
Infrastructural Development: we have almost nothing as a people and area. For instance, the 2010 Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency project of Solar Powered Lights were almost given to only Aboh Mbaise people. Out of over seventy (70) stands of the solar lights, Ngor Okpala got only eleven (at Okpala Junction), is this equitable distribution? The street lights along Umuowa-Sam Mbakwe Airport Road have remained useless after nearly six years of its installation. We challenge the Hon. Commissioner for Justice, our brother, Barr. Sorronnadi Njoku to address this issue.
This year again, about one hundred and ninety five million naira has been budgeted for our Federal Constituency. On why we choose solar energy lights again in preference to road and health projects remains a question for Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to answer.
This is because we believe that projects are chosen based on people’s priorities. The extent Ngor Okpala will get stands of the solar lights this time again, remains an assignment for our leaders.
Ngor Okpala and the present State Government: the near exclusion of Ngor Okpala Local Government and its people from the Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s administration is a big source of worry. For Ngor Okpala which parades an array of political elites and professionals in almost all spheres to be denied such offices as Special Adviser, Senior Special Assistant, Chairman of Boards and parastatals in Owelle ‘s administration despite the massive support , and the role Ngor Okpala played to his emergence, is worrisome. As you know, Ngor Okpala has only one Commissioner in this present State administration and to the extent only one person can attract the needed development in our area can be easily predicted.
We therefore, demand that Ngor Okpala leaders lead a powerful delegation to the Governor to discuss our affairs with him urgently. It is in view of the forgoing and other injustice witnessed by our people in the past that we have come to lay before you and other leaders, the following demands:
That other Ngor Okpala leaders, the State and Federal Government Authorities be communicated on our demand that Ngor Okpala citizens be given opportunity to produce such officers as the Governor, Deputy Governor, Senator, member of House of Reps, Minister, Ambassador or Chairman of a major Federal or State Parastatal.
That Ngor okpala political elite stop the pull him down syndrome and pilgrimage to other LGAs to support our opponents. Instead, they should rally round our own candidates.
That the leaders of Ngor Okpala should close ranks, forgive one another to give us and the generality of Ngor Okpala people a sense of direction.
That we will henceforth come to ask you, what you have done to bring all warring factions in our LGA together as a leader.
That the Traditional Rulers who gathered to confer a chieftaincy title of “Omenkeahurananya” on Hon. Emeka Ihedioha before the last election begin now to tell him and other Traditional Rulers in Aboh Mbaise that Ngor Okpala unconditionally be allowed to produce the next Reps for the Federal Constituency.
That a high powered team be raised immediately to start the course of equity and fair play for Ngor Okpala.
Responding, the various visited illustrious sons of the LGA thanked the youths for their positions as it concerns the neglect of the LGA by both previous and even present administration in Imo stated and charged them not to relent in their patriotic cause.
