Gov. Gabriel Suswam
After the creation of the heaven and the earth on the first day, the Bible records that “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep”. Ye!Something important was missing – there was no light.
God didn’t leave the earth in the void state. God knew that without light it was not possible to do any other work. What next? That same first day, God commanded that “Let there be light, and there was light”.
After many years of neglect, the administration of Hon. Gabriel Suswam has brought smiles to the Igede people of Oju local government area of Benue State by completing the electricity project to the town. I could imagine the joy of the people on the 28th May, 2009 when the project was commissioned. The halleluyah that rent the air, alas, the indescribable expectation and excitement; oh, the euphoria that enveloped the land might not be forgotten in a hurry.
The Governor at the commission of the project said, “The people living in the area will start investing in small businesses like barbing saloons, hair-dressing saloons, welding and selling of cold drinks, which will help alleviate their individual economic status”.
I highly commend the Governor for his detribalized approach to governance. The pertinent question however is, how can any business survive in an environment where basic amenities are lacking? The people in the area have no access to potable water; there is no good road; no standard hospital; no good market, and the people are suffering unconstitutional discrimination in the State they call their own.
The journalists that covered the event presented their reports as if the electricity power connected to Oju central, Ikachi and Obusa meant all the Igedeland has benefitted from it. It is important to mention here that there are hundreds of communities in Igedeland: so when few communities benefitted from a particular project, the State should not take it to mean the whole ethnic group has benefitted from it.
The Governor has good plans for the State, so he used the occasion to reveal that hundreds of other communities across the State would be connected with power. It is hoped the governor has included some communities in Igedeland such as Ainu Ete, Ukpa, Uwokwu, Idele, Itogo, Ohuhu, Iyeche just to mention few in his plan.
We in The Congress appreciate the Governor who, despite the dwindling revenues of the state is doing much to bring development to every nook and cranny of the state. However, since Igede people suffered more neglect under the previous administration than any ethnic group, we appeal to the Governor to continue to give attention to the people.
We deserve a fair treatment. Igede in the old Benue State was producing one Commissioner. Igede in the new Benue State is producing the same one Commissioner, whereas smaller ethnic groups such as Oron, Isoko etc are producing two commissioners in their respective states.
Notwithstanding the poor revenues, we plead with the Governor to create an additional Ministry and appoint one more Commissioner from Igede ethnic nationality. Our humble plea is that the governor should use his good office to correct rather than watering the criminal imbalance planted by his predecessors.
Ijuo Okpe is the President of: Igede National Congress (INC)
This article was first published in the The Congress Magazine of July 3, 2009
This article had actually received state government's attention, as that government appointed one additional Commissioner from Igede not long after its publication. The Congress Magazine was very popular with rich contents. Many Igede people were delighted that the Magazine was shaking the entire state of Benue, but greedy enemies within struck and the rest is now history.
Comments
Post a Comment