By Tony Adibe
The several autonomous communities in Nikeland have listed roads, employment, health infrastructure, industrialisation and education as development priorities facing them, and appealed to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State, Dr. Peter Mbah to address the needs if elected governor next year.
Pledging their votes to Mbah, they also bemoaned the nefarious activities of land speculators who, they alleged, had milked the communities and made them poorer.
The communities spoke on Thursday during town hall meetings with Dr. Mbah at Ugwogo Nike, Headquarters of Mbuluiyiukwu Development Centre and Emene, headquarters of Mbulujodo Development Centre both in Enugu East Local Government Area.
NewsBits reports that Dr. Mbah is currently touring the 68 Local Government Development Centres of the Enugu State for town hall meetings with the people of the state.
As if presenting their list of needs/demands to Mbah, a former Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial Zone, Senator Gilbert Nnaji and a 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 said he regretted the 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 emphasised the agricultural potentials of Nike communities, advised Mbah to elevate the state to agricultural processing and marketing hub when elected.
A woman leader, Mrs. Helen Ugwuoko criticised a situation in which 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.
Ugwuoko said: “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.”
The traditional ruler of Ogbeke Nike, Igwe Dennis Ekette, while pledging the people’s support for Mbah and other candidates, however, appealed to him to help solve the perennial water scarcity facing the rural communities of Nike.
However, a community leader, Hon. Gab Onu called for the dualisation of Enugu-Opi-Nsukka road, while a former lawmaker, Hon. Joseph Agbo, demanded a decisive action to end the menace of land grabbers in Nike.
Agbo said: “We are supposed to be rich given our vast lands, but land speculators have made us poor. We want you to end this as well as the injustice done to our people in the Enugu State public service.”
Also speaking, the council chairman of Enugu East LGA, Hon. Livinus Anike, described Emene Nike as the industrial hub of Enugu State and called for infrastructural renewal of the area.
Anike also appealed to Mbah to prioritise the revitalisation of state-owned companies such as Sunrise Flour Mills, Emene. But in his response, Dr. Mbah assured the people that most of their needs were already captured in his manifesto.
The PDP governorship standard bearer re-emphasised his resolve to construct 10,00km of roads, prioritise rural development, and robust industrilisation if elected.
According to Mbah, “We have plans to set up a N10 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises revolving fund. We have an inclusive economic development plan to ensure that nobody is left behind because whatever affects the weakest in our society affects us all.
“Of course, we cannot develop our economy without a healthy workforce, hence we will rejuvenate and equip our healthcare system, including the primary health centres to deliver 24-hour service.”
Dr. Peter Mbah is touring the 68 Local Government Development Centres of the Enugu State for town hall meetings with the people of the state.
