The Traditional Ruler of Amaiyi Okpo in Ihechiowa, Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, Eze Michael Ifi Njoku Kalu (OSCO), has appealed to Governor Alex Otti to urgently intervene in the rehabilitation of the Okpo-Achara Ihechiowa Road, lamenting that more than three decades of neglect have left the community isolated from the rest of the state.
The monarch made the appeal while speaking with Newsleverage, where he described the condition of the road as a major challenge affecting transportation, economic activities, and access to essential services in the area.
According to him, no government has undertaken the road project for over 30 years, forcing residents to trek long distances to access neighbouring communities.
“Government has never paid attention to the road project for over 30 years. We trek to Umuchiakuma Junction. There’s no car in the community because vehicles cannot enter the village,” Eze Kalu said.
He noted that the deteriorated state of the road has made vehicular movement impossible, effectively cutting Amaiyi Okpo off from surrounding communities.
The traditional ruler further explained that despite Amaiyi Okpo’s strategic location as a border community linking Ututu Ihechiowa, Cross River State, and Akwa Ibom State, as well as its significant voting population, it has continued to suffer neglect with little or no government presence or basic infrastructure.
He added that government officials who occasionally attend events in the community have personally witnessed the poor condition of the road, yet no meaningful intervention has been made.
Appealing directly to the Abia State Government, Eze Kalu said the community had made efforts to maintain its internal roads but lacked the capacity to rehabilitate a major access road.
“We are pleading with the government of Dr. Alex Otti to come into the community and help us. The community has been trying to fix the internal roads to ease mobility, but there is little a community can do to repair a major road. We are in trouble,” he said.
The monarch also lamented the absence of government-provided social amenities, noting that the few existing facilities in the community were provided through the efforts of concerned indigenes.
He urged the state government to prioritise the rehabilitation of the Okpo-Achara Ihechiowa Road and provide basic infrastructure, stressing that such intervention would improve transportation, stimulate economic activities, and enhance the living conditions of residents.
Also speaking, the former Chairman of the Okpo Ihechiowa Development Union (OIDU), Chief Cletus Torti Oleh (JP), described travelling to the community as extremely difficult due to the deplorable state of the road.
He acknowledged the contributions of indigenous sons and daughters, particularly through the Amaiyi Ambassadors, led by Chief Monday Kalu Okorie, for providing some of the community’s existing amenities, while urging the government to respond to the people’s long-standing appeals.
A commercial driver who spoke during the visit narrated how the poor condition of the road damaged his vehicle, leaving him unable to work and provide for his family.
Residents of Amaiyi Okpo unanimously identified the rehabilitation of the Okpo-Achara Ihechiowa Road as their most urgent need, appealing to the Abia State Government to intervene without delay, especially as the ongoing rainy season continues to worsen the condition of the road and deepen the hardship faced by the community.
