Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s village is Otuoke, one of the communities that make up Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa state, southern Nigeria. It is a small community with the people given majorly to peasant farming. Their major crops include cassava, plantain, banana and oil palm.
But because of the presence of the federal university there, some of the people work in the university.
There are certain things in the community which most Nigerians. Our NAIJ.com correspondent who visited the area found out many things he wants to bring to your knowledge.
1. The community has a badminton complex but has been abandoned, considering the appearance of the environment
2. It has a federal university which will be discussed in detail at a later date. The university was established in 2011 by the former president
3. The community has a federal medical centre, an extension of the FMC in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital
4. Otuoke has one major road running from one end to the other, although there are internal roads but one major road in the villagevillage
5. The community has no light. It was learnt that for over four years, there has been no light in the community. This will also be discussed in detail
6. Also, there is no water for the people there. Although there is a river running through and passing behind the estate of Jonathan, the water is not drinkable. And so the people have no good water.
This is the road running from one end of the community to the other
7. There is a borehole established by the federal ministry of water resources, fully completed but it is not in use. It is almost abandoned. This will also be treated in details
8. The road leading from Yenagoa to the community is an eyesore. It is very bad. There are so much potholes on the road. This is also another topic for a full discussion
9. Food is expensive in the village. Some of the villagers said food is expensive because they are not able to produce enough food to take care of their needs.
They said the state government fails to assist them. In fact, one of the farmers said they formed cooperatives to source money from the government but politicians diverted the money to their people and abandoned the community people to their fate.
This is road to Feder University, Otuoke
10. Night life in the village is dull because there is no light. At night, everywhere is dark, no streetlight, no light from the main electricity supply
11. Residents who could afford generator resort to generators and at night, it is the sound of generator people hear.
12. The community is mainly a student community. Its major dwellers are the students from other communities and states.
13. The people are hospitable, friendly and good. This is a result of the interaction with them for the three days I spent in the community
14. The community bubbles when the students are in session, after which one wonders how the community will look like.
15. There is only one bank in Otuoke. That is UBA. The bank is situated inside the university campus. And it usually gathers crowd majorly from the student who struggle to withdraw money from the few available ATM from the single bank.
16. Students charge their phones with N50 from those who commercialize their generating sets. This is because there is no light. Those who have generators and able to buy fuel become masters and lords.
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