Uzea People Decry Marginalization, Demand Creation Of Uzea LGA
By Rosemary Okoduwa
The Uzea community in Esan North East Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State has been in a state of perpetual neglect, with extinction looming as they battle severe underdevelopment and the absence of basic social amenities.
His Royal Highness, Solomon Ojiegbai Itoya Iluobe II, the Ojie of Uzea Kingdom, has made a passionate appeal to His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Edo State Government to urgently intervene and rescue the community, especially for the sake of its youths, the future of tomorrow.
The traditional ruler lamented the dire state of Uzea, highlighting the following critical issues:
The Uzea community has been in complete darkness since time immemorial. From the creation of the earth to this day, they have never had access to electricity.
The entire Uzea Kingdom lacks secondary schools in most of its towns and villages. The few primary schools available were built as far back as 1955 and are now in deplorable conditions. Pupils are forced to share classrooms with reptiles and other dangerous creatures, exposing them to unsafe learning environments. This situation has driven many adolescents to seek education in neighboring towns, where they face risks such as unwanted pregnancies, rape (sometimes resulting in death), and exposure to bad influences, leading some to drop out of school and become societal burdens, a double jeopardy for the community.
As an agrarian society, Uzea lacks good roads to transport their farm produce to neighboring towns. This results in massive food wastage and economic losses, further impoverishing the community.
Uzea has no hospitals, maternities, or even primary health care centers. This has led to alarmingly high rates of maternal and child mortality, as well as unnecessary loss of lives due to preventable health conditions.
The community is plagued by high levels of insecurity, including attacks by kidnappers and Fulani herdsmen. Women and children have been victims of gruesome killings and arson. Despite several reports to law enforcement agencies, little to no progress has been made in addressing these threats.
The traditional ruler, His Royal Highness Solomon Ojiegbai Itoya Iluobe II, alongside the entire Uzea community and the Okugbe-Ku-Uzea National Executive, is calling on His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, as the Executive Governor of Edo State, to use his good office to intervene and make Uzea a Local Government of its own.They appeal for urgent action to lift Uzea Kingdom out of this ‘stone age’ existence and bring much-needed development to their long-suffering community.
The people of Uzea deserve better, a life of dignity, safety, and opportunity. It is time for change.