Illah community in Delta has urged the lawmaker representing Aniocha-Oshimili Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mrs Joan Mrakpor, to attract Federal Government presence to it, saying it lacked democratic dividends.
President of Illah Development Union of Nigeria (IDUN), Mr Christopher Osamade, made the call when he led some members of Abuja branch of the union on a visit to the lawmaker on Tuesday in Abuja.
Osamade said that Illah in Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state had been contending with infrastructural challenges, which included inadequate medical facility and lack of electricity supply.
He said that the community had been longing for government’s presence, and pointed out that aside from Mrakpor’s recent effort, “little’’ amenities available in the community were provided “largely through self-help’’.
He commended the legislator for bringing an integrated skill acquisition scheme to the community, saying that the project was nearing completion.
The president, however, appealed to the lawmaker to push for more life-lifting projects to be brought to the community, and expressed confidence that through her office, “there will be light at the end of the tunnel’’.
He explained that IDUN was the umbrella body of all sons and daughters of Illah, and was saddled with socio-cultural, economic and political advancement of the community.
In her response, Mrakpor said that efforts were being made to address infrastructural issues in communities in her constituency through interaction with agencies of government.
She disclosed that some projects and amenities, including electricity transformers, had been included in the 2018 Budget for the constituency.
The lawmaker said that projects in the 2017 Appropriation Bill for communities in the area had not been attended to due to poor performance of the budget.
She, therefore, called on the Federal Government to release funds for constituency projects approved in the 2017 budget, saying that people in rural communities were suffering.
She commended the community members for the visit and assured that she would remain loyal to all her constituents “and struggle to meet their needs’’.