From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
To fast-track the development of Ubulu-Unor, an agrarian community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, the Progressive Vanguard Association (PVA) has been inaugurated.
Membership of the elitist group is drawn from accomplished professionals in various fields who are natives of the community. Apart from being a native of the town, a prospective member must be a graduate.
Among the objectives of the association is to arrest the underdevelopment of the town through educational and vocational empowerment of youths and to divert their attention from crime and the get-rich-quick syndrome that has led to money rituals.
At the inauguration, president of the association, Paul Ugo Nwadiei, said PVA metamorphosed from the Federated Ubulu-Unor Students’ Association (FUSA), which was initially aimed at encouraging students to further their education beyond the secondary school level.
Nwadiei described the inauguration of PVA as epoch-making, saying the association has come to stamp its footprints in the sands of Ubulu-Unor by facilitating its development.
“Today, a rainbow stretches across the deep blue skies of our town, with one message, the rain is gone. Gone are the dark clouds that held us down,” he said.
According to him, the astute, articulate, intelligent, vibrant, energetic and committed individuals decided to come together to “contribute towards the development activities” in the community.
He said this would be achieved through educational support, scholarship programmes, mentoring, entrepreneurship and skill acquisition, among others, insisting that PVA was committed to ensuring that Ubulu-Unor youths become forces to be reckoned with.
Besides scholarship programmes, Nwadiei said the association would be providing tables, desks and chairs for teachers and students as well as library facilities and conveniences in schools.
He added that the association would be investing in farming with a view to providing food and employment for youths.
“With the increasing insecurity and other social vices like armed robbery, kidnapping, Internet fraud, popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo, money rituals, we should try to educate our youths that it is not the way to go but rather through hard work in education and skill acquisition.
“With hope, the acquired knowledge and skill will help create wealth, peace of mind and bring sustainable development that will advance the development of our town.
“So, today, yet again, let us move forward, driven by the power of our mission, inspired by the primacy of our vision and emboldened by the strength of our togetherness,” he said.
In his remarks, the Obi of Ubulu-Unor and second vice-chairman of Delta State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Kikachukwu Afamefuna, emphasised the importance of education, and called on all sons and daughters of the kingdom to support the PVA’s initiatives.
The monarch thanked members of the association for deeming it fit to come home and assist in the growth and development of the town: “We, at different times, have benefitted and are still benefiting from their contributions aimed at building a better society.
“The re-engineering of this association as a child of necessity requires the cooperation of all well meaning citizens of Ubulu-Unor to make it grow.”
On his part, president-general of Ubulu-Unor Development Association (UUDA), Austin Ogbechie, pledged to partner with the association in realising the developmental objectives of the community.
Stressing the importance of peace and security, Ogbechie stated that the local vigilance group in the area was not effective, adding, however, that a police post, which was recently completed and furnished, would soon be inaugurated for use.
He regretted that the skill acquisition centre built by Ndudi Elumelu as part of his constituency projects for Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency was lying fallow, and urged the PVA to put it to good use.
In a lecture titled: Education as a catalyst for human and community development, Sir Peter Iwegbu charged the association to be the nucleus of development of Ubulu-Unor town.
Iwegbu highlighted the importance of education, urging PVA to develop a long term plan of how to produce a new crop of professionals in various fields in a number of specified years to come.
Also, in his lecture titled: The place of youths in a country of our dream, Jeff Mokobia, a Professor of Francophone African Literature, charged the association to utilise its energy and vigour to advance and develop Ubulu-Unor.
Prof. Mokobia lamented the dearth of good role models in the community, a development that has given room to youths being engaged in anti-social activities to get rich. He therefore urged PVA members to change the narratives.
Highpoint of the inauguration ceremony was the oath taking by the executive and other members of the association.
The association also bestowed posthumous awards for outstanding performance, excellent performance and good leadership on late Chief L.S. Uwafili, late Engr. Chiedu Kassim and late Samuel Ebom for their contributions to the growth of FUSA.