Indigenes of Akoko Edo, Nigeria’s oldest local government, become very worried

Akoko Edo Forum (AEF), a recently formed umbrella group of Akoko Edo sons and daughters in

Nigeria and the diaspora, held its inaugural meeting on Saturday, September 4, 2021 thanks to the Zoom virtual technology platform.

The meeting was attended by notable Akoko Edo sons and daughters in the private and public sectors, including industry captains, professionals, academics, retired military officers and civil servants, political office holders.

The meeting provided the attendees' the opportunity to discuss AEF’s core objectives as a vehicle and the desire to support the developmental trajectory of the Akoko Edo Local Government Area (LGA) which is said to be the oldest local government in Nigeria but has the unenviable status as one of the least developed amongst the 774 LGAs in the country.

The meeting commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Richard Bagudu. He gave insights into the formation and the need for an umbrella Akoko Edo group like AEF to help change the underdevelopment narrative of the oldest LGA in Nigeria.

He emphasized that irrespective of whatever is responsible for the pathetic state of Akoko Edo, AEF believes it’s high time it’s checked because, as the saying goes, "all evil requires to succeed is for all good men to do nothing."

The "good people have woken up," he further stated and solicited the support of all attendees and other Akoko Edo sons and daughters wherever they might be to take the issue of changing Akoko Edo into a model LGA very seriously and urgently.

Mrs. Mary Opii introduced the Select Committee which comprises six members working assiduously as the secretariat of AEF, considering the need to ensure active AEF participation.

“The Select Committee will moderate and collate suggestions in charting a path for developing Akoko Edo and creating a platform for the people to hold their leaders across the board accountable," she said.

She introduced all members of the Select Committee and went further to name the nine other committees earlier constituted to cover every sector of development.

Dr. Charles Jagun moderated the interactive session while Mr. Ifedayo Udiani managed the virtual hosting for a hitch-free meeting. He explained in detail the activities of each of the committees along with the identified challenges. He suggested ways of working with other stakeholders to reverse the sad state of the LGA.

The points below are the resolutions of the inaugural meeting.

1.                   Akoko Edo people through AEF have become active stakeholders in the affairs of the LGA and will no longer allow the neglect and underdevelopment of the LGA to continue.

2.                   The Select Committee is affirmed to act as the body's secretariat for the administration and external contacts with critical stakeholders with a functional operational office at Igarra.

3.                   The ‘Working Document’ was adopted as the foundation for the formulation of AEF. Akoko Edo Development blueprint to be used in charting AEF developing all sectors of the LGA.

4.                   Condemned the high level of insecurity, kidnapping and infiltration of the LGA by herders and the recent shooting of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Igarra. The Forum resolved to immediately raise funds to assist the wounded DPO.

5.                   Empowered AEF Security Committee to develop a sustainable security plan for the LGA and liaise with Akoko Edo Vigilantes in helping to curb the activities of kidnappers and called on the Edo State Government to urgently add Akoko Edo Vigilantes into the Edo Vigilante Security Network. Also, AEF to key into Edo State's recent announcement to employ 10,000 people as vigilantes and equip same.

6.                   Called on Edo State Government to enact the Anti-Open Grazing Law as agreed by the Southern Governors.

7.                   Work with neighboring states and LGAs to address the security challenges and called on our Royal Fathers to ensure herdsmen do not use their domains as settlement and the profiling of youths in the LGA to address the increasing acts of criminality in the area.

8.                   Called for setting up a process for the establishment of Akoko Edo Trust Fund or Akoko Security Trust Fund to address the insecurity and under development in the LGA.

9.                   Constitute a finance and fundraising committee to develop and implement a fundraising strategy for the Forum for sustainable funding of projects and operations.

10.               Work or partner with other groups, businesses, NGOs, agencies and other stakeholders interested in developing the LGA.

11.               All elected and appointed political office holders should be asked to join the Forum and engage all elected representatives on the representation of the LGA.

12.               A quarterly or half-yearly virtual town hall is to be held with all elected representatives from Akoko Edo. Arrangement and modalities of the town hall to be perfected by the Select Committee.

You can find the Akoko Edo Forum on Facebook: Akoko Edo Forum Initiative; Instagram: akoko_edo_forum; and on Twitter: akoko_edo_forum