Communities in Nike have listed roads, employment, health infrastructure, industrialisation, education, and employment as development priorities facing them, urging the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State, Dr. Peter Mbah to address the needs when elected governor in 2023.
Pledging their votes to Mbah, they also lamented the activities of land speculators, whom they said had made communities poorer.
The communities spoke on Thursday during town hall meetings with the Dr. Mbah at Ugwogo Nike, Headquarters of Mbuluiyiukwu Development Centre and Emene, headquarters of Mbulujodo Development Centre both in Enugu East LGA.
Speaking, former Senator representing Enugu Senatorial Zone, Senator Gilbert Nnaji and Member representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Hon. Cornelius Nnaji, said the construction of the Ugwogo Nike-Agbogazi Nike-Ubahu-Owo road would enhance rural access and catalyse socio-economic development of the area.
On their part, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Uwakwe regretted lack of a secondary school or hospital for the people of the area and urged Dr. Mbah to help reduce the hardships of the people, while Rev. Fr. Chimezie Ani, who harped on the agricultural potentials of Nike communities, urged the PDP gubernatorial candidate to elevate the state to agricultural processing and marketing hub when elected.
A woman leader, Mrs. Helen Ugwuoko lamented a situation where women in labour travelled all the way to Enugu town to get medical attention in such emergency situations, hence resulting in many fatalities.
She called for Mbah’s intervention in this area as well as women in the areas of women empowerment and youth empowerment through skill acquisition and job creation when elected.
“There is no employment anywhere. Some of our graduates have spent over 15 years with us at home and the hardship is too much for us to bear”, she stated.
The traditional ruler of Ogbeke Nike, Igwe Dennis Ekette, while pledging the people’s support for the PDP gubernatorial and other candidates, however, called on Dr. Mbah to help bring the perennial water scarcity facing the rural communities of Nike to an end.
While a community leader, Hon. Gab Onu called for the dualisation of Enugu-Opi-Nsukka road, a former lawmaker, Hon. Joseph Agbo, called for decisive action to end the menace of land grabbers in Nike.