By Ndubuisi Orji
An atmosphere of conviviality reigns at Umuka Ogwumaeze in Okposi, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, following the emergence of an Associate Editor with the defunct Newswatch magazine, Emenike Okorie, as the community’s President General. A renowned educationist, Chief Okorie Irem, was also elected as the traditional chief.
Others elected were Messrs Munonye Ogudu, Chairman, Development Committee; Ogbonnaya Mark and Stephen Onwukwe, General Secretary and Financial Secretary respectively.
An indigene of the area, Rev Edward Obumneme, the new PG “is a leading voice and epitome of excellence when it comes to community development. “He has pioneered so many community-driven self-help efforts and World Bank-Assisted projects in the community. He runs scholarship endowment that has assisted many young girls and school dropouts to complete their secondary and tertiary education.”
Other indigenes posited that the election of of Irem and Okorie raised the bar in community leadership. They said the combination of the two community leaders would change the development trajectory of Umuka Ogwumaeze, owing to their antecedents, integrity and public-spirited nature.
Okorie expressed profound gratitude to all sons and daughters of the community for the confidence reposed in him. He promised to give the assignment all the seriousness it deserved: “We shall focus on four thematic areas with the acronym E.Y.E.S, to drive developmental agenda for the community.
“The E.Y.E.S encapsulates bringing everyone on board, youth development, boosting the local economy and reviving positive aspects of our tradition, cultural heritage and politics to promote unity and happiness among our people.
“While focusing on E.Y.E.S, we shall also continue to seek opportunities to add value to the lives of our people through investments; improved electricity/power generation and supply, health care, schools/education, infrastructural development; roads, common buildings, water boreholes, robust constitutional amendment, etc.”