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From Kenneth Udeh, Umuahia
Residents of several communities in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State have described Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as a lawmaker whose representation has been felt through road projects and other interventions across the area.
The residents spoke on Friday when Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, continued his ward-to-ward tour of Ohafia, visiting Abia Ohafia, Akanu, Ndi Uduma Awoke, Isiugwu and Army Barracks Ward.
At Abia Ohafia, residents recalled Kalu’s role in attracting a road project to the community, identifying it as one of the visible benefits of his representation.
Similar testimonies were recorded at Akanu, where residents pointed to a road project attracted to the community by the senator. Residents of Ndi Uduma Awoke and Isiugwu also cited road interventions as they received Kalu and his entourage.
Speaking at different stops, community leaders and residents, including Elder Idika Mba, Arch. Ugbe Kalu and Mrs Elizabeth Ojah, said the physical projects across their communities provided tangible evidence on which they could assess the senator’s representation.
Elder Mba said residents could identify projects delivered during Kalu’s tenure, particularly roads which, according to him, had improved access to the communities.
“We are talking about what we can see in our communities. These roads are here, and our people use them every day. That is why we say we have felt the presence of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as our representative,” he said.
Arch. Kalu also stressed the importance of direct engagement between elected representatives and their constituents, saying representation should extend beyond Abuja.
“For us, representation should not end in Abuja. Our representative should come home, listen to the people and bring development closer to them. We have seen projects, particularly roads, and we want more of them,” he said.
Mrs Ojah said communities particularly appreciated projects that directly affected their daily activities.
“When a road is constructed in your community, everybody benefits from it. Our farmers, traders, children and families use these roads. We appreciate what has been done, and we are asking that more should be done for our communities,” she said.
Responding to the concerns and commendations, Kalu explained that some of the roads attracted to Abia North were initially classified as Category D projects with limited funding.
According to him, the original scope of some projects was largely limited to grading rural and farm roads, but his interventions helped expand the scope, leading to the eventual tarring of some roads.
“Some of these roads were Category D projects with very little funding. The original idea was basically to grade farm roads, but we pushed and intervened to ensure that some of them were tarred. We will continue to push for more projects and also work towards the completion of the existing ones,” Kalu said.
The former Abia governor said the ward-to-ward tour was designed to give an account of his stewardship while also allowing him to hear directly from constituents on areas requiring further government intervention.
He thanked the people for their reception and pledged to continue using his position and contacts to attract federal projects to communities across Abia North.
Kalu was accompanied by APC chieftains and political leaders, including the party’s candidate for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Chief Ikenna Ukwa; House of Assembly candidate, Destiny Uchechukwu; APC leader, Chief Uche Ogboso; State Chairman of the OUK Movement, Hon. Ojisi Sunday Ogbaja; Coordinator of the Tripartite Movement, Prince Emma Nwosu; former council chairman, Barr. Emeka Kalu, PhD; and former lawmaker, Chief Mba Ukaha, among others.
The APC leaders, who addressed supporters at different stops, pledged to mobilise across Ohafia for the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
Kalu, who has represented Abia North in the Senate since 2019, is seeking another term in the upper legislative chamber.
