An open letter to all Ugborodians

By FRED DUDU

THE reason we’re gathered here this weekend is to find common ground and champion the cause for Ugborodo people. We are very saddened about the plight and the predicament Ugborodo is going through right now.

Some of us here today are not here for the interest of Ugborodo issues but for their own personal interest or gain and not until we change our perceptions or modus operandi, which by the way, waiting in the wing for bread crumbs to be thrown at us, Ugborodo will not move forward.

Our Government, community leaders and the elders for the past 40 years have all failed us. If the present trend continues and Ugborodo people decide today to put their faith in the same individuals who have failed us in the past to represent us again, I now know that Ugborodo is cursed for life because of the black ‘excrement,’ called crude oil.

This black curse is replicated throughout the world with the exception of two countries Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate, U.A.E. If we want to avoid the black curse and do the right thing, the following steps need to take place.
Convention: For all Ugborodians including the two factions of Thomas Ereyitomi, David Tonwe and the rest of those who are neutral for reconciliation process.

Development agenda: To develop a master plan with detail construction schedules and time-line to realise the New Ugborodo City starting from Madangho town all the way to Ogidigben. The new comprehensive master plan will incorporate the following components:
*All residential districts from Madangho all the way to Ogidigben town.

*Commercial /Financial district

*Educational institution district/librariesMedical district /centres Civic centres Town squares/public spaces
Industries district – showing the location of the New EPZ and more companies that might be relocating there.
*Transportation system with network of roads.

Way forward:  The emphasis is on education. Our children today are no longer interested in going to school because of the “so called” black curse of the crude oil. Kids and especially young men think they can make millions in oil bunkering. By the time they realised it is a myth, it is too late to re-channel their energies. Hence, we have to change the mindset of the youths before it is too late by telling them that the way out of poverty is through education. With the kind of money coming to Ugborodo, we can ultimately produce some of the brightest minds in the world like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Finance Minister and Deziani Allison Madueke, the Petroleum Minister. These two individuals are products of Harvard University. This should be our focus not money sharing scheme that exists right now. Our lawyers should retrieve and reconcile the community account by writing Chevron for the $6 million dollars for Ugborodo new town, to be sent directly to Ugborodo trust.
Fred Dudu is an architect in Boston,USA; just relocated to Lagos.