River’s residents decry years of infrastructure neglect

Residents of Yache communities in Yala Local Government Area, Cross River State have cried out over what they described as prolonged infrastructure neglect, urging the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to urgently restore electricity and basic amenities to the area.

The appeal, contained in a formal letter addressed to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the South-South Development Commission in Uyo, was made available to journalists.

The letter was signed by the Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Senator Professor Stephen A. Odey, who painted a bleak picture of life in the agrarian communities, saying decades of neglect have stifled development.

According to him, the absence of electricity, motorable roads and potable water has left over 500,000 residents cut off from meaningful development despite their economic contributions.

Odey noted that Yache communities—Alifokpa, Uchu, Ijiegu, Wonye, Osina and Mbuo—sit on vast agricultural land stretching towards the boundary with Benue State, producing food crops that sustain the state and beyond.

He stressed that the area remains strategically important, both economically and politically, with over 33 polling units and a voting strength put at more than 23,000.

“The Yache people have consistently supported democratic participation and deserve commensurate attention in terms of infrastructure,” the letter stated.

The commissioner urged the SSDC to intervene by providing electricity, noting that such action would restore hope and stimulate rural development.

He added that government intervention would be remembered as a turning point in the history of the communities, long trapped in what residents describe as infrastructural silence.

The development adds to growing agitation across rural belts of Cross River State, where agricultural communities continue to demand urgent government presence amid rising economic hardship.