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From: David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Five communities of Ufuma, Nanka, Amaokpala, Ndiokpalaeze, Ndiukwuenu and other towns around them in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State have drawn the attention of Governor Willie Obiano to erosion threat that might remove their names from the map of the state unless urgent steps are taken to address it.
Their cry came at the weekend when national coordinator of Stakeholders for Obiano 2nd Tenure, Chief Ekene Enefe and his team from Awka including, Dr. Sir Jeff Okeke, the National Organising Secretary and Comrade Obi Ibegbunam, National Publicity Secretary had a town hall meeting with sixteen communities in the council area to know the problems facing them and canvass for their support to return Governor Obiano to Government House, Awka, come November this year.
Apart from erosion menace which the complainants said had done more than 70 percent damage at each of the sites, lack of access roads, absence of other infrastructural developments like health centres, bridges, establishment of secondary schools and government appointments were among the issues presented to the group.
At the meeting, which attracted over eight traditional rulers from the council area, council officials under the Transition Committee Chairman, Hon. Rommy Obi, member representing Orumba North Constituency in Anambra State House of Assembly, among others, the communities, though moved a motion to give their unflinching support to Obiano for a second tenure, said they would better vote for Obiano again unreservedly if their demands were met. They acknowledged that the Obiano administration had made available some amenities in the area “but not to the extent of the promise made during the election.”
Chief Enefe earlier in the meeting had told the audience that it was because of the interest Governor Obiano had in the communities that necessitated the mission to know their primary needs which took the support group around the State so as to tackle them. He said it was because of that the State government had released N20 million to each of the 179 Anambra communities and ready to release a second batch of the money for further development of every community in the State. He assured them that some delegates from each of the communities in the council area would be taken to the Governor for face-to-face discussions of their problems.
He said despite the meager resources at the disposal of the Anambra State government, the State had been consistently paying workers salaries as at when due in addition to its giant stride in agriculture, beautification of the Awka capital territory, taking care of security challenges, employment generation, among other things. He appealed to the communities to be patient with the Governor and expect better things ahead.
