By Raymond Ozoji, Awka
Transparency and accountability are two cardinal principles of public
administration and good governance especially at the third tier of government.
Also the deployment of public funds for public good especially when such funds
address the most pressing and fundamental needs of the people with direct positive
impacts on their living conditions, exemplifies presence of government in the
lives of the citizens.
This is the situation in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, where
the reelected Chairman and Mayor, Hon. Engr. Anayochukwu Charles Orjiako has
deployed public funds for public good as evident in the plethora of projects
and programmes that have direct positive impacts on the living conditions of
Ihiala people.
Anayo Orjiako in this report showcased his first term achievements as Ihiala
Local Government Chairman with concrete projects at verifiable locations across
the 20 political wards in the council area coupled with testimonies and
evidences of the functionality of the projects and problems they addressed.
This journalist who was conducted round the local government by the Supervisory
Councillor for Works Hon. Jerry Obiokoye to enable him obtain firsthand
information from the people about how the projects are beneficial to them,
found out that the Chairman is systematically transforming the council area
with projects and programmes in tandem with the felt needs of the people.
These transformations began from the Local Government Headquarters where the
Chairman has constructed a befitting new office complex for the chairman which
is one-storey building while renovating the old office building. A gigantic
multi-purpose hall has equally been built by the Chairman in the council
headquarters to replace the existing miniature hall being used by the public
coupled with the installation of solar-powered borehole water facility inside
the secretariat complex.
High court in Ihiala Local Government Area is equally a beneficiary of the
transformative leadership of Hon. Engr. Anayochukwu Charles Orjiako as he
installed another solar-powered borehole water facility in the court premises
to address the problem of acute water scarcity and distance they had to travel
to find water.
The Director in charge of the Court, who didn't want her name in print
confirmed to this journalist that the water provided by the local government
authority has been very helpful to them contrary to the excruciating experience
they suffered due to lack of water facility in the court premises.
Umuarugwu Uzoakwa is another beneficiary of Anayo Orjiako's first term
developmental projects where he executed water project to enable the villagers
have access to clean portable water. Eke-Agbagba New Model Market in Uli axis
of Ihiala was not left out in the distribution of developmental projects as the
Chairman built over 300 market stalls and an ultramodern digital abattoir for
butchers in the market.
The chairman of Eke-Agbagba New Model Market Butchers' Association, Mr. Ambrose Eze-ekunie recounted their
ordeals with the old abattoir, saying that the place is a complete mess because
it is in the open and it is always a horrific situation whenever it rained. But
he expressed profound joy with the construction of a new technologically-driven
slaughter house by the local government chairman with all the paraphernalia of
a modern abattoir.
Meanwhile traders at Nkwo-Ndiumeraku market Umuoma Uli equally were
thankful to the Executive Chairman, Hon. Engr. Anayochukwu Charles Orjiako, who
sung a solar-powered borehole water facility in the market to alleviate their
sufferings and hardships as they used to buy water at N200 each time they did.
Mrs. Ngozi Nebo who is a trader at Nkwo-Ndiumeraku market Uii, told this
journalist that the water provided for them by the local government chairman is
beneficial to them because they have suffered unimaginable hardships from
buying water at the rates of N200 and N500 respectively.
She said since the Mayor provided water for them; they no longer buy
water from vendors instead they get it free of charge directly from the one
provided by the Anayo Orjiako administration, adding that students of
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Uli campus also fetched water from
the same source.
Another legacy project this journalist toured was the new Ihiala
Ultramodern Central Motor Park currently under construction. The very massive
central park which citizens described as a welcome development, is expected to
add to the aesthetics of the council area.
A commercial bus driver, Mr. Ejike Ezeonu who spoke to this journalist in
the course of the tour, said that the park wasn't organized before the advent
of the new one. He said that they used to park on the road to offload and scout
for passengers but the modernisation of the park has brought sanity and
orderliness in their transport business.
Mr. Ezeonu therefore commended the local government chairman and the governor for providing such a place for them, noting that everybody in Ihiala Local Government is a beneficiary in the park.
Furthermore, Hon. Jerry Obiokoye, who is the Supervisory Councillor for Works
in Ihiala Local Government noted that the previous park was nothing to write
home about as motorcycle mechanics and other artisans wreaked havock in the
park causing massive environmental devastations..
According to him, the Chairman saw the menace generated from the park and
decided to intervene with the construction of a more befitting motor park
together with other facilities., adding that Ihiala Local Government will wear
a new look with the new central park under construction.
The Ihiala Local Government Chairman, Hon. Engr. Anayochukwu Charles Orjiako,
who addressed this journalist through his Supervisor for Works, maintained that
his first term achievements were a tip of the iceberg because he has bigger and
better development plans for Ihiala Local Government Area as he begins his
second term in October this year.
Orjiako disclosed that Lilu community which used to be the den of unknown
gunmen terrorising citizens of Ihiala, has finally regained freedom from
captivity and hostage as the local government authority has instituted new
structures therein coupled with the deployment of over N500 soldiers and other
security operatives to guarantee watertight security and safety in the hitherto
troubled community.
He said Amamputu Uli, Amorka, Osumoghu, Okija, Azia Mbosi, Ubuluisiuzo, Isekke,
and other parts of Ihiala Local Government have benefitted from his first term
project executions and will also benefit more as he begins his second term in
office this October.
He was however of the opinion that criminal insurgents dealt a devastating blow
on Ihiala Local Government and caused unimaginable damages and destructions as
many fled from Ihiala and sought refuge elsewhere. But according to him,
Orjiako who thanked Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for his countless
interventions in Ihiala Local Government especially as it concerns security of
lives and properties, noted that Ihiala is safe now and those who ran away are
running home. That the place is conducive now for living due to the presence of
various security personnel ranging from the DSS, Udogachi, Agunechemba and over
700 troop of soldiers deployed to guarantee adequate security and safety
for the people as they live their normal lives devoid of unnecessary threats
from criminal elements.
Post a Comment