FULL TEXT OF ADDRESS PRESENTED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY IBAJI UNITY FORUM, A SOCIO CULTURAL ORGANIZATION IN IBAJI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE NIGERIA  AT ABUJA TODAY, WEDNESDAY 23RD 2022.

Our invited guests, esteemed friends of Ibaji peopleand gentlemen of the press.

We appreciate your presence at this Press Conference and wish to express our gratitude for sacrifising your precious time to witness this occasion.

IBAJI UNITY FORUM (IUF) is a foremost socio–cultural organization in Ibaji Local Government Areawhich is out to foster Unity and Promote Socio-economic Development of the area.

Ibaji LGA, a terribly neglected food basket of Igala Ethnic Nationality. The people are acknowledged as great farmers who can feed the entire people of Kogi State and other parts of Nigeria.

Ibaji Local Government Council is one of the 774 Local Government Councils of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Created in 1996 with 10 political wards, with land size of 1,377 square kilometers, over 80 villages and numerous farm settlements with a population of 128,129 as at the 2006 census.

Ibaji LGA is boarderd to the North by Idah Local Government Area and trapped between River Niger to the west and Anambra River to the East.

Gentlemen of the press, we are constrained to address this Press Conference on the total neglect of Ibaji Local Government Area and her people by Federal and State Governments respectively.

Neglect:

The Local Government, since creation lacks all the basic Social Amenities as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as per right to live etc.

FLOOD/FLOODING:

In the days of old, a season of flood in Ibaji used to be a source of joy since it always came with alluvial soil deposits, fish and other economic benefits. But in the current decade, annual floods have been very devastating; of note was that of 2012 which visited the area with the fury of a tsunami, resulting in human and livestock fatalities, massive destruction of houses, farms and other valuables. The negative effects of this flood on Ibaji People are yet to mellow down ten years after.

The 2022 flood and its devastating effects in Ibaji have downgraded that of 2012 to a child’s play. It is simply a catastrophe; According to reports reaching us, over 33 people have lost their lives to the merciless flood, more than 200 houses were destroyed, leading to the displacement of our people in different parts of Idah and Igalamela/Odolu LGAs of Kogi State, Enugu, Anambra and Edo States, hectares of farm land and crops were also submerged and destroyed.

During the flooding, I went round the entire ten wards with my media team, to carry out an on-the-spot assessment, which culminated in our production of a documentary to project and report the suffering, pain, agony and abandonment of Ibaji people  during the flooding, with specific reference to the suffering of women and children. The documentary has been viewed by over 35,000 people as at last check.

At that period, the floodwater was the only source of water the Ibaji flood victims used for both bathing, cooking, and even drinking.

Worried by the situation, we took a sample of the flood water to the FCT water board laboratory for analysis.  And the result was not only shocking but deeply disturbing, as the floodwater was said to be unfit even for bathing. Yet, our poor Ibaji people drank it for weeks, making us to have an uncomfortable fear of any water borne disease soon.

During the flooding, there were good spirited persons, kind and compassionate people, who were moved to make donations to Ibaji people.  To be honest, we are beyond thankful and we lack words to express our enormous gratitude to these people. Because of your love for humanity, you have somehow made our world a better place with your donations.

In Ibaji which is the worst hit of the Nine local government areas  in Kogi state affected by the flood, no portion of the 1, 377 sqkm of land space was not submerged, thus forcing the people to cohabit with desperate and hostile reptiles on locally elevated platforms. Crops and other economic trees were submerged and destroyed.

Our people are in serious perjury and in danger of post flood famine having lost everything. Even those who died during the flood season of natural causes have no place of rest; no land to bury them; their corpses are presently in mortuaries in neighboringstates kind enough to accept our people as refugees. They will continue to stay in the morgues until the invading flood recedes. The future for the people is bleak. Experts on climate change and meteorology have warned that there may be a more devastating flood in 2023. If the prediction materializes, then we can now start preparing for the worst.

INACCESSIBILITY:

Ibaji local government area is the neglected food basket of Kogi state. The absence of motor–able roads in the area has made movement of humans and farm products very hectic and sometimes nearly impossible. The consequences of this for the people are better imagined. Government plans to link the area with the rest of the country has always been there but the political will to execute the projects has remained a major obstacle.

The federal government in the formative years of 4threpublic made a feeble attempt to construct a road that would have passed through the area from Anambra state enroute Abuja. In pursuance of this,contract for the construction of Otuocha-Ibaji-Idah road was awarded to Niger cat Construction Company at a cost of N7.2 Bn 1n 2009. But thirteen years (2009-2002) down the line, the project is yet to commence inspite of cries and appeals by the people. The construction of this interstate road would have cut down travel time from Anambra state to Abuja by more than three hours. It was also to link vast agricultural areas along the route to target markets for sale of agricultural products and ginger up economic social and political developments within the vast agricultural communities in Anambra west, Ibaji and Idah local government areas. Thousands of jobs would have been created, interstate and intrastate socio economic integration would have been encouraged due to enhanced accessibility.

It was also envisaged that the devastating annual floods would be controlled through adequate water channels which would arise from the construction of large and medium sized bridges on the road.However the people’s hopes have been dashed by the government’s abandonment of the road project.

In a similar symbolic manner, Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello awarded a 5 billion naira contract for the construction of Idah-Ibaji road in 2017 and a follow up well publicized flag off ceremony was staged with a thunderous ovation from the entire Ibaji people. But sadly, Six years down the line, construction work is yet to take off.

OIL EXPLORATION IN IBAJI:

Exploration for oil commenced in Ibaji seventy years ago (1952). However, the attention of border villages was drawn to the existence of the black gold on their soil when in the current decade oil rigs started springing up to the admiration of the locals over possible benefits that might accrue from such discovery. Residents of Ibaji border villages soon noticed some encroachment on their land by Anambra border indigenes. Armed hostilities then erupted between the two border communities following the failure of the national boundary commission to delineate the disputed boundary lines over the years.

A temporary respite however appears to have come to the people of the areas in dispute with the declaration of Anambra and Kogi as oil producing states, recognized by the revenue mobilization allocation and fiscal commission (RMAFC) to partake in the 13% derivation fund. Though not equitable to Kogi state, the lopsided attribution of oil wells in Anambra sedimentary basin is a step forward. The RMAFC in its wisdom approved the attribution of eleven oil wells wholly to Anambra state and one only to Kogi. In addition, the two states are to share on 50.50 basis, proceeds from three oil wells named Anamabra river 1,2,3 which are clearly on Kogi soil. This arrangement according to the RMAF, is pending the final delineation of the boundary. As a result of this arrangement, Governor Yahaya Bello announced and confirmed the receipt of the first tranche of the 13% derivation fund from the federation account in October 2022, though not disclosing the amount received. Anambra made a similar confirmation of receiving 268.2m in August, 2022.

Appeals on the issues raised

FLOOD/FLOODING:

The issue of perennial flooding is both a global and national challenge that must by jointly remedied by all levels of government. Flooding and its devastating effects vary from location to location but flood prone areas like Ibaji and other places are usually worst hit. It is therefore not surprising that Ibaji became the first casualty among the nine local government areas in Kogi state affected by the 2022 flood. However, inspite of our vulnerability and proneness to flooding, our people received the least attention and publicity of the extensive damagesinflicted by the flood. It is in this regard that we hereby make appeals to all governments, civil society organizations and all Nigerians to come to the rescue of the people. Our people are currently in danger of starvation, homelessness and all manner of human degradation.

We have heard of donations to the flood victims through the Kogi state government; however the effects of such donations are yet to have an impact. We therefore appeal to the state government to expedite action on the disbursement of the cash and materials so received.

ACCESSIBILITY TO IBAJI:

Accessibility to Ibaji is almost impossible in all seasons. Even during the dry season when accessibility is expected to be much easier, lack of motorable road has made movement very hectic and almost impossible. Attempts by the federal and Kogi state governments have been abortive in this regard. The federal government sponsored Otuocha–Ibaji–Idah road construction would have made a huge difference. The project has not been funded and has been comatose for 13 years. We are therefore calling on the federal government to do the needful and mobilize the contractors to site.

In a similar manner, we urge the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to revive the N5 billion Idah- Ibaji road construction project which he flagged off in 2017 but yet to take off after six years.

4.3 13% Oil derivation Fund: In October 2022, Governor Yahaya Bello announced and confirmed the receipt of the first tranche of 13% derivation fund from the federation account allocation, We are happy with this development and wish to congratulate the government, people of Kogi state and Ibaji people in particular, on the long and tortuous but successful journey to the club of oil producing states in Nigeria.

​The 1999 Nigeria constitution which created the 13% oil derivation fund is quite unambiguous on the use of it, According to section 162 subsection 2 ofconstitution the fund is to assist oil producing communities in tackling environmental pollution and degradation, provision of basic amenities like healthcare, portable water, road and economic empowerment of community people. Except for the newly qualified oil producers (Anambra and Kogi)all other oil producing states have established oil producing development commissions to execute this constitutional mandate on behalf of Government.

We therefore hereby recommend the immediate creation of oil producing development commission by the state government for ease and transparent utilization of the revenue from the derivation fund. In the interim, we recommend the opening of dedicated account for receiving money from the 13% derivation fund.

As a government of new direction, we expect the Governor to strictly abide by the provisions of the constitution so that the heroes of the struggle would not have died in vain.

CONCLUSION:

Gentlemen of the press, we appreciate your attendance and wish to thank you for listening to us.

Thank you in advance for the publicity given to our cause. Again thank you and remain blessed.