As one of the largest local governments in Imo state with land area of 561km2, Ngor okpala is bedeviled with peculiar challenges resulting from its soil topography and strategic location on imo state’s map.
The nearness of Ngor Okpala to Abia communities has not helped the security situation in the area rather it exposes it to all manners of crimes. In a simple term, since the local government is located close to Abia communities, criminals from these communities find it easy to switch hideouts thereby adding to the security challenge in the area.
Similarly, Ngor Okpala is lying on undulating topography. This nature of its land scape has always made the area prone to erosion. More often rural roads desire constant attention if not they will be chopped off into two.ocation
Unfortunately low performance by past local government operators occasioned by non conduct of local government election in the state worsened the peculiar challenges of the people of Ngor Okpala.
As a result of the above, critical infrastructures including roads which were seriously deplored to the suffering and hardship of the people begged for attention to no avail.
Consequently, insecurity in the area skyrocketed reaching crescendo with armed robbers coming out in broad light to rob the people of their belongings, roads turned deathtraps with big ditches at their centre while the people applied farther roads to circumvent them. It is on record that the road linking Umuneke to Owerri/Aba road caved into two then causing the users during raining season to experience hell. Council headquarters ,Umuneke was not spared.
It was covered with bushes. Most office building not only dilapidated but were a taken over by reptiles and rodents.
But thank God, few months after the newly elected Ngor Okpala council chairman ,Hon. Chief Mrs Chika Ibekwe was sworn in and inaugurated the narrative changed. No wonder her victory at the poll was greeted with jubilations and delight from both women and men, young and old because they knew the hardworking servant leader has come.
To the chagrin of the people, just in a moment, twenty two (22) roads had been fixed to motorable state. To do these roads, as one who believes in team spirit she involved the councillors who took charge of grading of the roads in their wards. To ensure the road grading was evenly done, two roads were sand filled and graded thoroughly in each ward to the extent that even as the rains are setting in these roads are still viable.
Also the chairman within the record time tackled already heightened insecurity in the area. In doing this she partnered with the state government which brought in men and officers of Imo State Police Command that worked in collaboration with community youths and the local government vigilante to aptly arrest the situation. No incident has been recorded, and peace and order has returned since after the operation.
Not overlooking the sorry state of the council headquarters, the first elected female chairman of the area guided by her sense of decency within a space of time, cleared the bushes, renovated the dilapidated structures, built legislative office complex,installed solar power and repainted the entire council headquarters to the extent that a night visitor to the council might think all the structures were newly built owing to sparkling lights exhumed by the newly mounted street lights.
Speaking to newsmen at her office the soft speaking chairman expressed gratitude to the governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma for giving the elected council chairmen free hand to run the affairs of the local governments. According to her,’ the council chairmen call the shots and that is why she has recorded the numerous achievements in a record time. I want to correct the wrong impression in the media that we the elected Chairmen do not call the shots. We call the shots not the governor.
Throwing more lights on how the security challenge was arrested, the journalist turned politician said on assuming office she called meeting of all stakeholders in the area where it was resolved on ways of tackling insecurity in thr area adding that she wrote the governor who immediately came to their rescue. She noted that youths went into searching and apprehended the armed robbers that had been blocking road adding that since the incident there had not been any report of insecurity. She therefore thanked governor and all critical stakeholders in the area for ensuring the longtime insecurity was brought to a halt
In her words,’ we are doing empowerment too. Since we assumed office there is no day that passes without people trooping here to pay us courtesy calls and we don’t leave them empty handed. We give the money. And that is also empowerment.
‘I came prepared to work. My next program will be targeting at women. These women take care of their children and their husbands yet don’t have time to take care of their health needs. I was touched hearing that one of our strong supporters is blind now. So I am planning to organize a medical outreach where health needs of these women will be taken care of.
‘We will also look into the education sector. We will ensure school buildings are in good shape to give the pupils conducive learning environment.
My people love me and I have come to work for them, she concluded.
Oloko Reginald
Grassroots commentator
Email: olokoreginald54@gmail.com
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