By Jude Chijoke Ndukwe
Living in darkness is like living in bandage: businesses crumble, studying becomes excruciating, social life ceases, health risks increases, and the people are literarlly cut off from the rest of the world!
It is such unpleasant situations that inspired the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly and the PDP flagbearer for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency at the forthcoming 2023 general elections to recently declare so emphatically in a chat with some citizens that “No clan in Ikwuano/Umuahia will be in darkness under my watch”.
And between October 2022 and November, 2022, a period of just one month, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji has donated transformers to the following communities:
1. Ariam Usaka
2. Amizi Olokoro
3. War Museum/Umuagu Estate
4. Umuguru Ipupe
5. Umuajiji Isieke
6. Amaogugu Ohuhu
7. Umuagom Ugba
To ensure that the transformers serve the needs of the people immediately, the Abia Speaker also sponsors both installation and energisation of the facilities instead of leaving the equally huge responsibility to the rural communities some of which may not be able to afford the costs of installation and energisation. Thus, the Speaker is already fulfilling his promises to the people putting him in the class of rare noble men whose word is their bond.
Some other communities have also benefitted from the Speaker’s electrification projects long before now. Such communities include:
i. MbaraUkwu Amuzukwu
ii. St Stephen’s Cathedral
iii. Umuobasi Ugba
iv. Nkata Ibeku
v. Ubakala Street
vi. Uwalaka Street by Enugu Road
vii. Igbo Street by Uzuakoli Road
viii. UmuUkwu
ix. Afara Technical School
x. Electrification project at Palm Lane Extension, Urban Ward 3
xii. Refurbishment of Dysfunctional Electric Transformers at:
a. Awolowo Street by Owerri Rd
b. Kaduna Street by Umuwaya Rd
c. Item Street by Niger Rd
d. Isieke
e. Ugba na Nkata
There are also several other communities that will receive transformers from Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji in the coming days.
The import of such determination by the Speaker to ensure that communities have light cannot be overemphasised. The wild jubilation that greets the donation, installation and energisation of the transformers by the elderly, youths and even children of benefitting communities is preponderant evidence that, indeed, he who brings light brings Life!
At the risk of sounding audacious, I make bold to say that there is hardly any other Leader anywhere else in our clime that has so much touched the life of the people. This is leadership, true leadership…leadership of the people, by the people and for the people. Such leadership of sterling records naturally thrusts a heavier burden of higher office for the greater benefits of the people on such a leader.
There is therefore no doubt whatsoever, that for this people-oriented trajectory of leadership to continue, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji MNSE who has shown enormous capacity and competence spiced with compassion – for without compassion, no matter the resources at the disposal of one, they will not lift even a finger to bring succour to the people – need to be fully, totally, perfectly, roundly and completely supported without any reservation whatsoever in his quest to represent Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives.
The future holds even better things…