By Ori Martins

I want to call the attention of the leadership of Ezurezu to three significant areas the people of Mbaise urgently need their quick intervention.

To begin with, the three Local Government Areas (LGAs) and their communities are terribly cutoff from the rest of the world due embarrassingly impassable roads.

Virtually all the roads in Mbaise are in deplorable conditions. The worst of all, and it calls for serious concern, is the Aba Branch (Ehime Mbano) -Ahiazu – Aboh – Okpala Road.

This road houses landmark institutions that are dear to the people of Mbaise. Right in front of the groundbreaking Mbaise Secondary School, MSS, is a gully. This has made it absolutely difficult for commuters to access the other sides of the road, either way! MSS students and their teachers find it extremely difficult getting into their school’s premises.

Opposite MSS is another magnificent structure: the headquarters of Aboh Mbaise LGA. The simple interpretation is, the LGA workers no longer easily get into their offices. Or, if you reframe it as a question, how do these civil servants get into their offices?

Further left, within this hallowed but torn yard, is what for several decades has been standing as Mbaise General Hospital, MGH. Both MSS and MGH were built and structured by community efforts. Both were put in place when the irrepressible Chief N. D. Ukah was the chairman of Mbaise County Council. MSS was established in 1956. MGH, originally named Mbaise Joint Hospital, was built in 1958. Later, the Aboh Mbaise Government Council Hall was constructed in 1976,the same year Imo State was created.

Sadly, these monumental edifices are dangerously threatened by poor road network of today. And this is where I beckon on the leadership of Ezurezu Mbaise to take positive action devoid of any political inclination. Just get across to the Imo State Government demand the immediate reconstruction of all the major roads in Mbaise, with the Mbano – Ahiazu – Aboh – Okpala Road as the lead chart.

At Eke Nguru, Umunama, Orie Uvuru areas, what look like manholes are located on the middle of the road. The one at Orie Uvuru has the potentiality of swelling heavy activated vehicles!!!

Many have suggested that the NDDC handling this road has no capacity to effectively refix it as it is not well funded. There are many other bad roads in Mbaise and Ezinihitte is the worst hit. And at no other point the bad road devastation manifested more than at Itu, the LGA headquarters.

Furthermore, it is imperative to bring it to the knowledge of Ezurezu that all the roads leading to or moving out of Mbaise are now militarized. A case in hand is the Owerri – Mbaise Road.

Beginning from Holy Rosary in Emekuku, to Nguru Centre, there are about seven police “check points”. In some instances, there are two police points with both looking at each other. Which means the so-called check points are less than five poles. This is anti security and so uncalled for.

I therefore call on the Ezurezu leadership to get in touch with the Imo State commissioner of police and work out how to end this police intimidation on Mbaise roads.

To be sure, I have never impugned that police check point is bad. I have never also insinuated that police presence in Mbaise is abnormal. I only submitted that there is excessive police check points in majority of Mbaise roads.

Again, there is this recent development of armed community security guards in Mbaise, particularly in Aboh Mbaise LGA. Is this how it is in all the other 27 LGAs, or it is peculiar to Mbaise, especially in Aboh Mbaise LGA?

There is nothing absolutely wrong with having armed community security guards as long as the members of that security outfit are properly recruited, well trained and professionally mobilized.

I equally urge the leadership of Ezurezu Mbaise to carefully look into this matter and work to strengthen security situation in Mbaise