Open letter to Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma: Where did Amauzari go wrong?

Your Excellency, Senator Dr. Hope Uzodinma,
I write this letter with due respect to your person and office as the incumbent governor of our very dear Imo state. I am not very sure you know me. I hail from Amauzari in Isiala Mbano LGA. And my name is Chief Sir Emeka Asinugo, KSC, a London-based British-Nigerian veteran journalist, author of 'The Presidential Years from Dr. Jonathan to Gen. Buhari (Volumes 1- 3) and Publisher of the online ROLU Business Magazine (Website: https:rolultd.com) I was the deputy editor of Academic Star in the Daily Star Group of Newspapers from1976 till 1979 when I relocated from Enugu to Imo and became the first Features Editor of the Nigerian Statesman. I migrated to Britain twenty-five years ago and was variously Editor of the African Voice and the Trumpet newspapers in London.

Your Excellency, I am worried and sad as I seek for an answer from you to this troubling question: where did Amauzari people go wrong?

Since Nigeria attained self-rule in 1960, the people of Amauzari have been politically active. They have consistently exercised their civic responsibilities, paying taxes duly and fully participating in election exercises. Our people have supported various political parties over the years, believing in true democracy and good governance. Yet, in recent times, a pattern has emerged that leaves our people with serious and deep concern.

The people of Amauzari largely supported the All Progressives Congress (APC), and in particular, Your Excellency’s government. They were drawn to your administration because of its commitment to infrastructural development, especially the upgrade of major roads in the state. The Owerri-Okigwe Road, among others, testifies to your government's commitment to hard work, and I commend you for that. But while the rest of Imo State, particularly areas beyond Amaraku, are seeing tremendous road developments even at their backyards, Amauzari remains completely neglected.

The Amaraku-Amauzari-Amandugba Road, a vital route that serves over two million people daily, has remained untarred for decades. This road is crucial not only for residents of Amauzari but also for millions of travellers and businesses that depend on it for economic activities. Yet, despite the loyalty of Amauzari to the APC and their unwavering support for your administration, this critical infrastructure has been completely ignored.

A year or so before your second tenure, I was on vacation in Nigeria and I learnt that your Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs. Ruby Emele was asked to see to the road. When I came home last September, I saw that the road had been tarred up to Umunkwo where Ruby is married and abruptly stopped before it connected Amauzari proper. On enquiry, I was also told by the Royal Father of my home community, HRH Eze George Ibezim, that the contract for the road had been re-awarded and mobilisation money paid to the contractor. But the contractor, Eze Ibezim said, was asking for variation money as the cost of materials had gone up from the days he submitted his quotation. One would have thought that your government would have got the contractor to at least start work with the funds already advanced to him while he negotiates for financial variation which we know could happen in business.

Your Excellency, how do my people reconcile our trust in your government with the continued neglect of this major road that is used daily by more than two million commuters? It is painful to see that all the roads on the opposite side of Amaraku, up to Obowo, have been tarred, yet our own main road remains in a deplorable state. What have we done to deserve this isolation? Why has the APC government turned its back on Amauzari citizens?

It is good for you, Governor Uzodinma, to know that the impact of this untarred Amaraku-Amauzari-Amandugba Road on the people of Amauzari is simply devastating. Economic activities are suffering severely on account of it. Every week, Atta market thrives on Eke Atta market day, attracting sellers and buyers from different parts of the state because it is linked to the tarred Owerri-Okigwe Road. Orie Amaraku booms on its market day because of the same well-tarred road leading through it. But Afor Amauzari continues to struggle. What should have been a lively commercial hub on Afor market day turns into a ghost town because sellers and buyers from outside Amauzari find it impossible to access the market due to the terrible road condition.

Whenever it rains, the centre of Afor Amauzari market, which should be the heart of our town centre, is completely flooded and impassable. Instead of being a well-planned town centre with shops, banks, and commercial activities, it is reduced to a waterlogged wasteland. And obviously no investor will bring business to a town with such poor road infrastructure. Even the three-star hotel built by one of our sons to boost commerce in Amauzari lacks patronage because of the poor road condition. Potential businesses that could have created employment opportunities for our youths and women shy away from Amauzari because of the unmotorable road. Commuters and transporters groan daily as vehicles break down due to the poor condition of the road. Those who dare to use it pay exorbitant transport fares, and that also increases the cost of doing business in Amauzari.

Your Excellency, the people of Amauzari have never been passive in governance. We are politically conscious and have supported successive governments that showed concern for our peoples' welfare. In the last elections, we overwhelmingly voted for the APC, believing that our votes would bring about the much-needed development. We did not expect to be treated like second-class citizens in our own state. We did not expect to be abandoned while our neighbours enjoy good roads, modern markets, and improved economic activities. We see what is happening in neighbouring Amaraku, Atta, Iho, and other towns, and we ask again: Where did Amauzari people go wrong?

Your Excellency, as responsible citizens of Imo state and supporters of your administration, I want to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal, on behalf of my people, for the immediate continuation of the abandoned Amaraku-Amauzari-Amandugba Road to be completed before the rains set in. This road must be reconstructed and tarred. It is not just a demand, it is a necessity for the survival of Amauzari people and their economy. The local government should provide proper drainage and upgrade the market to attract traders and businesses. A vibrant market will boost the local economy and improve revenue for the state government. While we appreciate the roads being built across the state, we urge Your Excellency to ensure that all regions benefit equally. Amauzari should not be left behind.

Governor Hope Uzodinma, you are a good man, a man of justice. You have demonstrated your commitment to good governance by transforming many parts of Imo State. I am confident that you will let justice be done to Amauzari. The people of Amauzari believe in you. They have shown their faith in your leadership. Now, they are asking for your intervention. Do not let Amauzari remain an island of neglect in a sea of development. Let their votes count, not just during elections but in the dividends of democracy.

Your Excellency, the ball is in your court. And the good people of Amauzari will await your response.

Thank you and God bless you as you remember your people.