By Austin Ogwuda
ASABA—IKA Landlords Association has protested the slow pace of work in the dualization of the old Lagos/Asaba Road, and the dredging of Orogodo River, lamenting that the two projects had been abandoned after destroying their residential buildings and shops to pave way for construction.
The group, numbering about 100 elderly men and women stormed the major streets of Boji-Boji Town in a peaceful protest but were, dispersed by soldiers, while some of the them were arrested in the process.
Addressing newsmen, the Chairman of the Association, Mr. Jacob Onyemaka, said in their petition that “the dualization of the old Lagos/Asaba Road had been abandoned, after destroying all the residential buildings, shop and other business premises, thereby rendering a lot of our people homeless and jobless.
Water pipes were laid in the ground since 1999 with the hope of supplying pipe borne water to the residents but up till this moment, there is no portable drinking water and the project had been abandoned.â€
“The dredging of Orogodo River had been abandoned despite the huge amount of money put into the project by the State and Federal Governments while the tarring of the streets, and construction of drainage on the streets had been abandoned, after government released huge sums of money for the project.â€
Incidentally, the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa hails from Ika.
The demonstrators alleged that there was little or no visible presence of government, in spite of the huge sums of money releases by the state.
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.