Grassrootsmirro Media Team
In the political and administrative structure of Nigeria, a local government chairman is not a ruler over a section of the LGA but a servant to all. Elected under the oath to serve and develop every part of their domain, they are entrusted with the collective interests of the entire local government. Unfortunately, in Ivo Local Government Area today, this noble expectation has been deeply undermined.
Since the emergence of the current chairman, a disturbing pattern of bias and sectional development has taken root. While Ishiagu, one of the two major communities in Ivo, enjoys visible development, infrastructure upgrades, and numerous empowerment initiatives, Akaeze, the other half of the LGA, continues to suffer exclusion, neglect, and abandonment.
Ivo is a local government area in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Towns include Akaeze and Ishiagu, home of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu. Click
The ongoing communal tension between Ishiagu and Akaeze may be real and unfortunate. Still, it does not and should never justify one-sided governance. A true leader uses crisis as an opportunity to unify, not to divide; to heal, not to harm.
SELECTIVE DEVELOPMENT: A WOUND TO UNITY
Let’s be clear: no one is contesting the chairman’s efforts in Ishiagu. In fact, it is commendable that he is executing development projects, that’s what public office demands. The issue, however, is the glaring absence of similar attention, investment, and commitment in Akaeze.
From roads to schools, markets to health centres, public lighting to youth empowerment schemes, nearly every official intervention has been rooted in Ishiagu. There are newly renovated halls in Ishiagu villages, boreholes commissioned, transformers distributed, and even youth seminars and skill acquisition programs conducted there. Meanwhile, in Akaeze, silence looms. Dusty roads, dark nights, collapsing schools, and idle youth are the norm.
What exactly is the message being passed to Akaeze people? That they are no longer part of Ivo? That because of communal misunderstanding, they no longer deserve the dividends of democracy? That they must beg for attention?
Such treatment is not only unjust but dangerous.
CRISIS IS NO EXCUSE FOR MARGINALIZATION
Indeed, we acknowledge that there have been communal tensions between some groups in Ishiagu and Akaeze. But governance should never be reactive to crisis by abandoning one side. On the contrary, it should be proactive, ensuring that both communities feel seen, heard, and represented.
What kind of leader refuses to visit a wounded village to offer hope and instead invests solely in the side where he feels politically safe?
What kind of government claims to represent a people but shuts its ears to the cries of half of its territory?
What type of administration uses crisis as an excuse for neglect instead of an opportunity to restore peace?
The hallmark of strong leadership is the ability to remain neutral, fair, and inclusive, even in the face of tension. When a chairman begins to wear the face of one community over the other, he has failed in the true sense of democracy.
DEVELOPMENT IS A RIGHT, NOT A GIFT
Let it be said loud and clear: the people of Akaeze are not beggars. They are contributors to the economic, political, and cultural development of Ivo and Ebonyi State at large. They vote. They pay taxes. They participate in community development. They deserve equal attention from their government.
It is an insult to democracy to reduce the developmental needs of Akaeze to occasional palliatives, festive-season rice, or last-minute empowerment programs designed as photo ops.
If roads are being graded in Ishiagu, the same should happen in Akaeze.
If schools are being rebuilt in Ishiagu, the same must apply to Akaeze.
If markets, boreholes, streetlights, and youth grants are going to Ishiagu, let them also go to Akaeze.
There is no excuse, absolutely none, that justifies this imbalance. Leadership should not favour familiar soil; it should serve all soil equally.
THE COST OF DIVISIVE GOVERNANCE
The longer this selective development continues, the more dangerous the implications. We risk deepening the divide between two historically connected communities. We risk sowing seeds of resentment, bitterness, and further conflict. We risk losing the trust of the people, and when trust is broken, governance becomes chaos.
Development should be a unifying force. It should reach the furthest corners of the LGA and remind every community that they matter. The chairman should not allow personal bias, political fear, or the convenience of one-sided development to derail the peace and unity of Ivo.
LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF CRISIS
True leadership is tested in times of division. Anyone can build roads in areas that clap for them, but great leaders go beyond applause. They serve even where there is misunderstanding. They reach out even when they are criticized. They carry everyone along, especially the most wounded.
Akaeze may not have the loudest political voice today, but they have dignity. They may not receive the most attention from the council secretariat, but they are watching, and they are documenting. Their silence is not weakness; it is pain, and pain, when ignored, turns to protest.
It is time for the chairman to wear the full garment of leadership, not just the part tailored for Ishiagu. His oath of office demands it. The peace and prosperity of Ivo depend on it.
KEY AREAS WHERE AKAEZE IS LAGGING BEHIND
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Road Networks – Many major and inner-community roads in Akaeze are dilapidated. Transporting farm produce becomes a nightmare, especially during rainy seasons.
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Schools and Education – Public schools are crumbling. Teachers are inadequate. Students study in leaking classrooms and often sit on broken furniture.
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Health Services – The few available health centers are underfunded, lacking drugs, equipment, and qualified personnel.
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Youth Empowerment – Not one significant empowerment scheme has been officially hosted in Akaeze under this administration. Youths feel abandoned.
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Market Infrastructure – Markets lack basic amenities like toilets, sheds, water, and security. Meanwhile, markets in Ishiagu are upgraded and regulated.
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Water and Electricity – Many villages are still in darkness. Promised transformers remain promises. Boreholes are scarce and often poorly maintained.
These are not demands for luxury; they are necessities for survival and dignity.
CALL TO ACTION
To the Chairman:
Stop pretending Akaeze doesn’t exist. You swore to serve both communities, not just the one that claps for you. Revisit Akaeze. Audit their needs. Include them in your next phase of projects. History is watching you.
To the State Government:
It is your duty to ensure LGAs operate with equity. Intervene in Ivo. Ask questions. Demand accountability. Let no community be forgotten.
To Akaeze Stakeholders:
You have a duty to your people. Use your voice, your platforms, your networks. Don't allow your people to be silenced by political positioning.
To Civil Society and Media:
Shine your spotlight on this injustice. Bring it to the public domain. Development imbalance must not go unchecked.
To the People of Akaeze:
Document your stories. Demand fairness. Advocate peacefully. Let your voice be louder than your silence.
Akaeze is not asking for special treatment. It is asking to be included. To be remembered. To be served. To be respected.
Leadership is not about serving the loudest voices or the safest places, it’s about ensuring that even the hurting and misunderstood communities get the attention they deserve. The chairman must rise above crisis, rise above politics, and rise above favoritism. He must become the chairman of Ivo again, not just the chairman of Ishiagu.
This injustice must stop.
This silence must break.
This neglect must end.
The development of one must never come at the expense of the other. For peace to reign in Ivo, there must be fairness. For unity to grow, there must be equity.
IVO IS TWO COMMUNITIES. SERVE THEM BOTH.
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Written by the Editorial Team, Grassroots Mirror
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