A group, the Ohanivo Grassroot Movement, (OGM) has appealed to the Ebonyi State government as well as the Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area, Chief Emmanuel Ajah to construct a bridge on the Ike River at Amaeke Village in Ishiagu Community of the state.
Chairman of the group, Comrade Orji Joseph expressed concerns over the continuous drowning of indigenes of the community in the river.
Comrade Joseph who expressed sadness over flooding of the bridge during rainy seasons, lamented that five indigenes of the community lost their lives between 2020 and 2023 while returning from their farmland in the river.
He therefore appealed to the Ishiagu Community Development Union, (ICDU), the Chairman of the local government and the state government to come to the aid of the community to construct the bridge on the Ike River to save the lives of the rural farmers.
He pleaded that the makeshift bamboo bridge currently in place through community efforts has posed great danger to the rural farmers who use the bridge to access their farmlands.
“During rainfall or rainy season like this, farmers within the community always find it difficult to cross the Ike River to cultivate their farmlands and subsequent harvest of their farm produce. The people of Amaeke especially women depend on farm produce to earn a living.
“The social and economic challenges posed by the Ike River is not an easy one as flood from the river always destroy plantations and farmers’ crops thereby exposing a man who has laboured to be a borrower at the end of the farming seasoning.
“Our aged men and women are always at risk each time they are returning from the farm during the rainy season. The Ike River is always flooded, and we have lost about 5 persons as a result of the collapse of the makeshift bamboo bridge the community constructed to enable members of the community access their farmlands.
“Amaeke Ishiagu has a common boundary with Ndi-Agbor in Enugu State, if the Ike River is motorable, transportation of farm produce will be easier. There will be interstate movement from Ebonyi to Enugu State, Amaeke has the shortest link road to Enugu State.
“Ndi-Agbor and Ndi-nneochele in Enugu state will be bringing their farm produce for sale in Ishiagu as we depend on each other for survival especially at this critical point of our lives.”
He further noted that there are abundant and quality sand in river connecting from Enugu State.
“If the Ike River is constructed, it will create employment to the youths of Ishiagu and will reduce the high rate of youths engagement in hard drugs and other criminal activities created by idleness and unemployment,” the chairman said.