THE FORGOTTEN ZONES: Inside Obeagu and Ohafia-Agba, Communities Without Roads, Water, or Representation
Grassrootsmirro Media
“Development should not be a privilege of cities, but a right of every citizen.” – Unknown
Deep inside the heart of Ebonyi State, Nigeria, far from the noise of Abakaliki metropolis, are communities like Obeagu and Ohafia-Agba. These villages, tucked within the lush but rugged terrains of Ishielu respectively, are home to thousands of citizens who feel cut off from the rest of the state, not by choice, but by absence. No good roads lead to them. No clean water runs through their homes. No government representative seems to remember they exist.
Yet, these are not ghost towns. They are full of life, farmers, students, elders, and mothers, each with dreams, pain, and untold stories. They vote. They sing the national anthem. They hope. But hope, in the absence of action, becomes agony.
Forgotten zones refer to communities that have been excluded from both infrastructural development and political representation. These are places where:
- No tarred road has ever passed through.
- No government borehole or pipe-borne water exists.
- No good health centers function effectively.
- No political representative visits, listens, or acts.
These zones are often omitted from urban-centric policy agendas and suffer in silence, despite their contribution to the economy — especially through agriculture.
Obeagu and Ohafia-Agba both in ishielu exemplify this reality.
Obeagu: A Village Cut Off by Bad Roads and Bad Politics
Situated in the Ishielu Local Government Area, Obeagu is a community rich in farmland and cultural heritage. But reaching the village is like traveling back in time. The roads are either completely impassable or seasonal mud traps. Pregnant women in labor often have to be transported on motorcycles for miles before reaching the nearest health facility, if the weather permits.
The lack of government presence and security has created a culture of impunity, allowing herdsmen to invade and terrorise the Obeagu community at will, leaving residents in a state of constant fear and displacement. Investigation shows that once it is 4 pm, outsiders hardly go in or out of the community for fear of being kidnapped by herdsmen on the dilapidated and deplorable access road that stretches about 6km leading to the community.
For the residents of Obeagu Community in Ishielu Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, life is harsh and unrelenting. Their daily existence mirrors the Hobbesian state of nature, characterised by constant struggle and a brutal fight for survival. Read up here
Obeagu has no proper water system. The major source of drinking water is a stream that also serves domestic animals. Children frequently suffer from waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera.
What is most heartbreaking? The people still vote during elections. Yet, there is zero presence of elected officials after campaign periods. Promises are made, and quickly forgotten.
Ohafia-Agba: Where Development Ends and Neglect Begins
In Ishielu Local Government Area, Ohafia-Agba faces a similar fate. The community lies at the boundary between civilization and abandonment. With no accessible roads, goods from local farms often rot before reaching urban markets. This kills local trade and agriculture, which is the main livelihood of the people.
Youths walk long distances daily or drop out altogether due to hardship. During the rainy season, the village becomes inaccessible, cutting off medical aid, food supply, and external communication.
Ohafia-Agba is a community filled with intelligent and hardworking people, yet many grow up believing they are inferior simply because of the condition of their environment. This is psychological trauma that persists through generations.
The Urban Bias in Development
Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, has in recent years witnessed massive infrastructural development. Flyovers, dual-carriage roads, streetlights, and modern markets have become symbols of progress.
While this is commendable, the overconcentration on Abakaliki metropolis has led to a dangerous neglect of rural communities like Obeagu and Ohafia-Agba. Development has become elite-focused, instead of people-focused.
This imbalance creates two types of Ebonyi citizens:
- Those with access to basic services in the city.
- And those struggling in silence in rural zones.
This is not sustainable. A state cannot rise if it drags one leg in prosperity and leaves the other in pain.
Why These Villages Matter
1. Agricultural Contribution
Obeagu and Ohafia-Agba are food-producing communities. From yams and cassava to vegetables and palm oil, they are part of the silent workforce that feeds Ebonyi and neighboring states.
Neglecting them means starving the agricultural chain. With proper access roads, storage facilities, and water, these communities could transform Ebonyi’s economy.
2. Rural–Urban Migration
Lack of development forces young people to flee their villages in search of opportunity in cities. This leads to overpopulation in urban centers, unemployment, and rising crime rates. Investing in villages keeps people rooted, empowered, and productive.
3. Political Justice
Every Nigerian has a constitutional right to representation. Yet, when communities like Ohafia-Agba never receive visits, boreholes, or projects from their elected representatives, that is political injustice. Inclusion is not a favor, it is a right.
4. Peace and Security
Many neglected communities become easy prey to insecurity, banditry, or inter-communal clashes. Development brings security. Roads, water, schools, and health facilities act as early warning systems and stabilizers of peace.
Voices from the Forgotten
“They only remember us when they need our votes. After elections, they disappear again,” says a teacher in Obeagu
“My child died of fever because we couldn’t reach the clinic on time. It took us two hours on foot through the bush,” laments Mrs. Onyeka, a farmer in Ohafia-Agba.
“We know we are citizens, but we don’t feel like it. We are like the tail of a cow – always behind,” says Uche, a youth leader.
These are not stories for pity, but calls for action.
Our Call to Government and Stakeholders
1. Equal Infrastructure Spread
Let the development budget include rural roads, solar boreholes, and mini health centers in places like Obeagu and Ohafia-Agba. The cost is low, the impact is massive.
2. Rural Data Mapping
Government planners must use data and community engagement to locate and plan for forgotten zones. If they are not on the development map, they will never be on the budget.
3. Legislative Oversight
State Assembly and National Assembly members representing these areas must be held accountable. Constituency projects should not be invisible or abstract.
4. Rural Education Incentives
Government and NGOs should introduce mobile classrooms, teacher incentives, and youth empowerment schemes in rural Ebonyi.
How Citizens Can Help
- Use social media and blogs to amplify these stories. Tag representatives.
- Support rural journalism like Grassroots Mirror. We bring these stories out when no one else will.
- Volunteer, donate, or suggest ideas for community intervention. Sometimes, even used books, water containers, or sandals can save lives.
- Advocate for community-based monitoring groups to track any government presence or promises.
It’s Time to Look Beyond Abakaliki
Obeagu and Ohafia-Agba are not relics of the past. They are living, breathing communities, crying for the touch of progress. A government that celebrates building bridges and flyovers in the capital but forgets entire villages in the bush is not building a future — it is painting over injustice.
It is time we shift the lens of development. Let every local government in Ebonyi be a beneficiary of hope, not just the urban few. Let government be seen and felt in the dusty compounds of Obeagu, in the farm paths of Ohafia-Agba, in the dreams of rural children who only want to go to school, drink clean water, and live in dignity.
Be a Part of the Change
At Grassroots Mirror, our mission is to spotlight the unheard, the unseen, and the neglected. If you live in or know of communities that have been forgotten, send us your stories. We are building a platform where the rural voice is no longer silent.
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You’re not totally out of touch with the reality in Ohofia ward. Nevertheless, we’re not ohafia. Ohafia happens to be in Abia state. Ohofia is the one in Ishielu which you referred to. Ohofia-Agba is wrongly referred to. We are an autonomous community already. We were initially referred to Ohofia/Agba autonomous community. But the duo has been granted autonomy respectively.
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarifying us. Noted Sir, we appreciate.
DeleteThis is a commendable piece to share untill it gets to the elites of Ebonyi state government.
ReplyDeleteFor me, some part of Igbo esa are still in this group eg
Obeagu
Nkalaha
Amaezu
May God help us
Thanks for your information. You can help us share it to groups to groups to spread the news.
DeleteA Call for Change in the Forgotten Zones of Ohofia/Agba Autonomous Community"
ReplyDeleteFor far too long, parts of the Ohofia/Agba Autonomous Community have been pushed into the shadows — neglected, underdeveloped, and forgotten by those in power. These zones, rich in history and filled with hardworking people, continue to suffer under the weight of poor governance and failed leadership.
Our roads are broken, our youths are jobless, and our voices have been ignored. The very people who promised progress have delivered silence. The community deserves better — we deserve leaders who serve, not those who only speak during election seasons.
This is a call to remember the forgotten. A call to demand accountability. A call for every resident, youth, elder, and concerned citizen to rise and say, "Enough is enough."
It’s time to take a stand — not just with words, but with action. Let us unite to build a future where no part of Ohofia/Agba is left behind. In time of election Ohofia /agba will be remembered but after election all the promises will be empty promises
We have to stand up and campaign against evil leadership. We have to call them, the leaders out every minute for them to do the needful. Ebonyi as a while must be better again.
DeleteAba Ohofia, agu ozu, Ohofia, aguefi Ohofia and aguru Ohofia have no road to come out to only one major road leading to okpoto ntezi express way the elites should go there and see it by their self our mothers and fathers have suffered a lot even all of us that come from there have suffered a lot the federal and state government should come to our help it has never being an easy route over the years pls.
ReplyDeleteThe state Government should come to our aid pls.
DeleteWe will continue to speak, write until things are done right
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ReplyDeleteObservation Sir it's Ohofia autonomous community now though we're known as of Ohofia Agba before but not that anymore
I most commend you for your effort to remind our amiable governor how Ohofia has been suffering without government remembering them in Ohofia they have about 35 villages and government hasn't remember them in anything yet they always cast there vote's every election
In Ohofia no road to all the about 35 villages in Ohofia
In Ohofia no government blowhole or pipe bone water for about 35 villages in Ohofia
In Ohofia we have about 35 villages but no electricity for about 30 village's the only one transformer is supplying light to about two to three village located at the road
In Ohofia no government standard hospital for all the 35 villages in Ohofia
In Ohofia we haven't benefited any street lights from government
In Ohofia no government standard school or higher institution
In Ohofia our youth's are jobless
MR governor please we're appealing for you to remember us because people are dying everyday because of all this and we're also appealing for you to grant us the autonomous community we're appealing from you.
Thank you, we will continue to call them out in other for them to do what it's expected of them. Share to other platforms.
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