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From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
The chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, and the state chapter chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, would be bowing out of office in a few days with her shoulders high, if the life-enhancing projects delivered by her administration are anything to go by.
In fact, Princess Iyioku is a woman in whom many are well pleased because of her people-driven, ultra-modern projects. So, it was a harvest of projects as the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs. Rachael Umahi, and other stakeholders of the area witnessed the inauguration of some of the projects on August 19.
The star project was a tastfefully furnished one-storey building to serve as lodge for the chairman, which is named after the governor’s wife.
Princess Iyioku said at the inauguration of the Rachael Umahi Lodge at the council headquarters, Obiozara, that her action was a way of appreciation to the woman who had affected her life positively.
“Mrs. Umahi is a wonderful woman. In the next world, I pray that she remains my mother because of the love and support she has given to me.
“Politics or no politics, she remains my mother because she picked me from nowhere and made me what I am. This is the reason why the edifice was named after her,” she explained.
She also thanked Governor David Umahi, whom she said had given about 35 per cent chances to the women in his administration and urged everyone to always support him in all aspects.
In her remarks, Mrs. Umahi urged all and sundry to commend the council chairman for transforming the area beyond imagination within her tenure.
She said: “I am not surprised about her gesture because she is my covenant child. She has always been with me both in season and out of season and nothing can come in between us.”
She advised people to always identify with whoever that is doing well in his or her area of endeavour and charged everyone to vote wisely in the forthcoming general election.
“Whoever that is being produced as the consensus candidate for whatever position should be supported, so that when it gets to another person’s turn, others will equally support.
“The mentality of ‘it-must-be-me’ should always be avoided in any situation,” she appealed.
She further thanked all for the support given to the chairman and appealed for more loyalty in any positions she would occupy in future.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Austin Umahi, rated the performance of the council chairman as the best since its creation in 1976.
According to him, Iyioku’s leadership had become an eye opener through which the administrative ingenuity embedded in women was discovered.
He said that the building was of such high standard that it could provide shelter for even the president of the nation.
“The structure known as Ohaozara LGA Chairman’s Lodge named after the state governor’s wife is meant for all the critical stakeholders who want to relax outside home.
“Additionally, the chairman’s achievements are so enormous across the nooks and crannies of the area. Though, I am not surprised because she really followed the footstep of her political father being the state governor,” he said.
He urged office holders to always strive to make indelible achievements with which they would be remembered after exiting offices.
A stakeholder, Chief Mathew Uzor, extolled the leaders of the present administration from the grassroots to the state for changing the narrative of Ebonyi State.
He suggested that those vying for various positions should toe the path of the state governor and his disciples of leadership.
Another stakeholder, Mrs. Rose Aja-Nwachukwu Okoronkwo, lauded the governor’s wife through whom the chairmanship position of Ohaozara LGA was given to Princess Iyioku.
Okoronkwo disclosed that many had felt bad about four years ago when the lot fell on a woman to lead the council.
“They were in doubt about the capability of a woman in such position but, as God would have it, the women through Princess Iyioku have proven that they can lead well,” she said.
She added that another woman, the running mate of the Ebonyi State gubernatorial candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was unanimously nominated based on the record already made in the area of leadership by Iyioku and others. She then thanked those who facilitated the nomination of the APC female deputy governorship candidate.
Special Assistant to the Governor on Solid Minerals, Ozoemena Njoku, who also hails from the council area, applauded Governor Umahi for providing the platform that the council boss deployed in contributing to the development of the area.
“I am thanking the woman for putting Ohaozara LGA forward in the map of the world. I also appreciate her over the projects which she spread evenly across all the component communities,” he stated.
Some of the projects commissioned were newly built civic centres at Uhuotaru Ugwulangwu and Mgbom Ugwulangwu autonomous communities respectively, Onuinofu Bridge at Agu-Amelu Ugwulangwu, ultra-modern Police Divisional Headquarters and its fencing at Obiozara, 10 lock-up shops at Eke Okposi and Njoku Oha mini Bridge at Okposi, among others.
Another significant aspect of the event was the presentation of empowerment items, including vehicles, over 50 motorcycles, various food commodities and wears to people, especially youths and women.
