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Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
It was all smiles in Ihiala community, Anambra State, recently as the traditional ruler, Igwe Thomas Obidiegwu, distributed various foodstuff to cushion the harsh effects of the COVID-19 lockdown among the people.
Among the items distributed were 270 50kg bags of rice, 50 cartons of tomato paste and 50 bags of salt.
Obidegwu, Oluoha the 17th, clan head of Ihiala, said the gesture, which was done in conjunction with his Oluoha-in-Council, was in appreciation of the people of Ihiala as a whole for complying strictly with government’s instruction of stay at home and other guidelines.
He said people of the community fully obeyed the directive, while some influential individuals from Ihiala have been able to support their respective villages by providing palliatives in the same way to cushion the effects of the lockdown.
The traditional ruler said his own gesture came because he deemed it fit to give whatever he could make to make them feel at home in these trying times.
“The food items are meant to be shared to the poor among the villagers and I’ve told them that, by God’s grace, as the day unfolds and we are able to get something more, we shall support them the more. I shall continue to look after them as the COVID-19 persists but we pray that the spread will be contained quickly so we can return to our normal lives again.”
The Oluoha admonished the people to persevere, bearing in mind that nothing lasts forever. He said they should realise that government directives of stay-at-home and shutting down economic activities in this period were not to punish them but for their own good and for the benefit of all.
Ifeanyi Vin Ezeaka, a lawyer and former president of the town union, said the palliative shared to the villages in Ihiala became extremely important because there was hunger in the land caused by the lockdown. Ezeaka, who is also Special Assistant to the Governor on Justice, said the gesture cut across the poor in Ihiala, whether indigenes or non-indigenes. He said each of the village heads were asked to send the list of indigent people from the five electoral zones of Ihiala, with the assurance that they would be shared meticulously to avoid rancour or cheating anyone.
He advised the people to stay at home and live than to stay outside and catch a killer disease, knowing that the situation would be temporary, not permanent.
Chief Okey Chukwu, president-general, Ihiala Progress Union (IPU), said he was very proud to have come from Ihiala “where people care for one another and observe the philosophy of being your brother’s keeper.”
“Anytime there is unity of purpose, Ihiala people do very well. Anytime our people rally round our traditional ruler, here is the result. We should also rally round him in carrying out other developmental projects in the community like building a town hall. We would have completed that before now but for a little misunderstanding over land borders,” he said.
Another Ihiala indigene, Commissioner for Information and Public Orientation, Anambra State, C. Don Adinuba, said it was always a good thing to remember the poor, the most vulnerable in the society, especially during turbulent times like this.
“Before the lockdown, things were rough for so many Nigerians and the lockdown worsened the situation. For those who are a bit more privileged than others, it’s a good thing to rally round their brothers and sisters in distress. I will end by quoting the Bible, John 15:13, which says ‘there is no love greater than the fact that a man should lay down his life for the benefit of his people.’”
An octogenarian, Nze Olikaeze Obiudo, who spoke to the reporter, recalled that the process of selecting the incumbent traditional ruler in Ihiala was a very tough one. He noted, however, that the community had not regretted any of its actions since the ascendancy of Obidiegwu to the throne.
He recalled that the traditional ruler had always been responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people of the community from his days in public and private service, until his election to serve the community. He noted that the ruler’s decision to serve the community received resounding support from the people.
