Ndokwa Study Group Sends New Years Message to Ndokwa Nation, Tasks Them on 2023 Election
ASABA/Nigeria: The Ndokwa Study Group has called on the people of Ndokwa Nation, to wake up and take their destiny into their hands, as that will be the only way for them to attract development to the area.
The call was made by the President of Study Group, Dr Norris Ovili in its New Year Message to the people of the area on January 1, 2023.
In the message, the group described the challenges facing the area in the area of policy implementation, allocation and execution of projects.
“It is disheartening that over the years, governments have not been responsive to the agitations of our people for equity and inclusiveness in the distribution of developmental projects so much so that even in the distribution of NDDC and DESOPADEC projects, non-oil and gas-producing communities are considered and communities in Ndokwaland neglected. The Ndokwa Nation today cannot boast of any Federal presence or State legacy projects that are being enjoyed by other ethnic nationalities of the State. As a matter of fact, among the ethnic nationalities of Delta State, it is only the Ndokwa nation that is without an Institution of higher learning whereas others are having more than two.”
The Full Text
NDOKWA STUDY GROUP NEW YEAR MESSAGE TO NDOKWA
Ndokwa Nation, like every other ethnic nationality, is today confronted with the challenge of development. Incidentally, issues of economic growth and development are a function of Government deliberate policies often reflected in the pattern of resources and projects allocation. By all indices of development, Ndokwa nation today occupies the backwaters and there seem to be no hope in sight that we could be out of the woods in the near future. Therefore, the minds of well-meaning sons and daughters of Ndokwa are agitated with questions bordering on the performance of the social contract between our people and the Government, both at the Federal and State levels.
From the defunct Western Region and the Mid-West Region/Bendel State to the present Delta State, Ndokwa has been suffering as the sick man of the politics of whichever political space/domain we found ourselves. Due to lack of transparency in the Oil and Gas sub-sector of the State economy, the quantum of oil and gas produced in Ndokwaland is shrouded in secrecy. Needless to mention that the three Local Government Areas that make up the Ndokwa nation are oil and gas producing. The only information in the public domain, which is incontrovertible, is that Ndokwaland has the largest gas reserve in West Africa, yet without any corresponding development to show for it.
It is disheartening that over the years, governments have not been responsive to the agitations of our people for equity and inclusiveness in the distribution of developmental projects so much so that even in the distribution of NDDC and DESOPADEC projects, non-oil and gas-producing communities are considered and communities in Ndokwaland neglected. The Ndokwa Nation today cannot boast of any Federal presence or State legacy projects that are being enjoyed by other ethnic nationalities of the State. As a matter of fact, among the ethnic nationalities of Delta State, it is only the Ndokwa nation that is without an Institution of higher learning whereas others are having more than two.
Township and rural roads with pavement stone and standard drainages have been constructed across the State with Obiaruku in Ukwuani Local Government Area being the only beneficiary in the entire three Local Government Areas that make up Ndokwa Nation. Today, many towns and villages suffer from poor drainage. It is disheartening that most coastal towns and villages in Ndokwa are devastated by coastal erosion and perennial flooding. Many of the communities cannot be accessed, particularly during the rainy season. Apart from the Ase Bridge at Igbuku near Ashaka in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, there is no landmark government project executed in any part of Ndokwa land. The Beneku Bridge across the Ase River is yet to be completed after many years of commencement. And without mincing words, one could submit that the Asaba/Ughelli Road Dualization Project that passed through part of Ndokwaland is by accident of geography and not by dint of deliberate policy targeted at developing Ndokwa Nation.
For years now, the Oko- Utichi – Okpai – Aboh – Umuolu – Onyah coastal road has continued to appear in the yearly budgets without take off. Our people living in those areas access their kiths and kins in Ndokwa West and Ukwuani local Government Areas either through Onitsha in Anambra State or through Isoko South Local Government Area in Delta State. Somebody at Ogume cannot access Abbi (a distance of fewer than 10 Kilometers) unless he or she goes through Utagba-ogbe (kwale) or through Amai. The distance from Ogume to Abbi is less than ten kilometres. Yet the two communities have remained disconnected.
In the health sub-sector, Cottage Hospital, Umutu, in Ukwuani Local Government Area and the Cottage Hospital, Umuolu, in Ndokwa East Local Government Area could be described as glorified dispensaries as there are no sophisticated medical equipment and personnel to man the health facilities. They have since remained like that and the Ndokwa West Local Government Area with headquarters at Utagba-ogbe has only one functional hospital built by the colonial masters. While smaller towns and villages in other parts of the State have hospitals and new ones springing up, big towns such as Abbi, Emu, Ogume, Onicha- Ukwuani and Utagba-uno do not have government hospitals. Sick people in need of medical attention from these towns and adjourning villages travel to Utagba-Ogbe or Obiaruku for medical attention. Oftentimes, patients needing emergency treatments die before getting to the hospital due to long journey on bad roads.
The facts of the relative developmental backwardness of Ndokwaland due to neglect by successive administrations at the Federal and State levels are quite evident. Curiously and very ironical, the greatest chorus singers of the good work of the successive administrations in Delta State are Ndokwa people despite the neglect of Ndokwaland in the distribution of developmental projects. Among the government praise, singers are the youths and elders. Whereas youths and elders of other ethnic nationalities that are relatively enjoying the dividends of democracy, still criticize the government for non-performance.
The foregoing is a clear reflection of the way we are as an ethnic nationality and painfully so. In the scheme of things today, among the comity of ethnic nationalities in Delta State, particularly in relation to the overall development of human society, Ndokwa Nation has been left behind based on all developmental indices. Whether we will remain the way we are today or not will be determined by our collective resolve to act now and change the narratives or fold our hands and watch, waiting for the proverbial coconut to fall rather than reaching out to it with our hands.
In less than sixty days we shall go to the polls to elect new leaders from House of Assembly members to the President. The parties have continued with their campaigns and have also visited Ndokwa land with Ndokwa sons across party lines canvassing for votes for their preferred Candidates. It is very pertinent to ask if Ndokwa as an ethnic nationality has entered into any contract, especially with the leading governorship Candidates. The two frontline parties for the governorship election have Ndokwa sons as their Deputy Governorship Candidates, but before the elections, we must extract a commitment from the Governorship Candidates on what Ndokwa as an ethnic nationality stands to benefit with a timeline for delivery when they emerge victorious. May I also add that such promises are not made on campaign ground? Ndokwa must urgently put together a body that is non-partisan to meet with these leading Candidates and place a reasonable and workable demand on them with timelines for execution. This shall be our social contract with them and the contract document should be visited at intervals to track performance.
All Candidates for the House of Assembly and House of Representatives must be ready, if they emerge, to work in synergy and be open to advice and guidance with a view to achieving the desired development of Ndokwa Nation.
There is now an urgent need to produce a workable development guide for the Ndokwa Nation for the next four years/eight years and our sons and daughters in government need to key into it. The document when produced should contain specific projects with timelines for delivery across Ndokwa Nation as well as strategy for actualizing them.
The 2023 elections is key to bringing Ndokwa out of the woods and for the sake of our children and the ones unborn we must not miss it.
May the year 2023 mark the beginning of unprecedented development in Ndokwaland and may only politicians that will work in the interest of Ndokwa nation emerge victorious at the 2023 elections.
May God bless Ndokwa Nation.
May God bless Delta State.
May God bless Nigeria.
Dr. Norris Ovili
President, Ndokwa Study Group
