It was commendations and jubilation galore in Atta, Ikeduru Local Government Area; Amumara, Ezinihitte Local Government Area; and Nnorie, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, Monday, February 8, 2021, as Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi touched down in the communities to commission development projects.
The lawmaker who represents Imo East Senatorial District, Owerri Zone attracted the projects which included a total of 120 stalls, boreholes for ease of doing business in the markets, 5KVA generators to power the boreholes and abattoirs.
For the overjoyed communities who were visibly overwhelmed by what they described as rare fulfillment of election promises, after decades of neglect which sometimes dates back to early seventies as in the case of Adakam, Amumara, the commissioning of the projects marked a new dawn in their existential history.
Community leaders in Adakam Amumara where the tale of perennial neglect was most touching who spoke on the occasion, Eze O.B Nwokocha,Chief Chinemerem Madu and Dr Cyril Nwankwo said the Orie Adakam Market has been neglected and abandoned since after the Nigeria/ Biafra Civil War.
They also noted that it was the first government project in the area during the same period and praised the lawmaker for fulfilling his promises as well as securing employment for their sons and daughters in federal agencies and parastatals.
At Nnorie Autonomous Community, Hon Kizito Onuoha, disclosed that the projects were the second by any elected senator of the zone after the 2009 commissioning of classroom blocks by Senator Chris Anyanwu.
Other leaders who added their voices, Eze Noble Eke of Nnorie Autonomous Community, Prof Jude Njoku, former Vice Chancellor of FUTO, Owerri, Hon Emma Nwaogu, Hon Charles Abara and Mr.Daberechi Akwa President General of the community expressed profound gratitude to the lawmaker for making it a point of duty to always remember the local government in the distribution of projects, even as they appealed to him to touch the remaining three blocs of the council.
They expressed satisfaction with his effective representation style, assuring that as a local government where the PDP has never lost election since 1999, they would reciprocate his good works at the appreciate time.
On their part Atta leaders Eze Ben Udunoho, Eze Joe Anika, Sir Bon Unachukwu, immediate past commissioner for Lands in the state as well as President General Atta Federated Union, Chief Acho Ezirim, said the generality of Atta people at home and abroad are appreciative of his gestures, promising to continue supporting and praying for him.
All the leaders from the three local government areas unanimously agreed that Senator Onyewuchi is changing the narrative of legislative representation, adding that his performance will always stand him out and speak for him before the people of the senatorial zone.
Some market women who spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Mrs Oluchi Okoro and Mrs Ngozi Igbo could not hide their excitement and profuse gratitude to the lawmaker for providing water for market women, pointing out that they would no longer spend money on sachet water.
In his response before cutting the tapes to commission the projects, Senator Onyewuchi said the projects are to thank the people of the areas and Owerri Zone for voting for PDP in 2019.
He stressed that as a leader who is under divine injunction to serve the people, the projects and many more that would soon be unveiled are being executed in fulfillment of the charge from above.
According to him, he opted for market first because they are catalysts of socioeconomic activities, which would benefit individual families, the communities and society at large, while the boreholes were provided to promote ease of doing business
He promised to complete and commission more projects within the next two years as well as ramp up his empowerment programmes, even as urged the people to continue to support the PDP, which insisted is the only party that has the welfare and wellbeing of Ndi Igbo at heart.
