Chairmen of Enugu East and Nsukka Local Government Areas of Enugu State have distributed a total of 30,000 bags of rice to residents as part of their Christmas welfare interventions, citing Governor Peter Mbah’s non-interference with local government funds and full financial autonomy as the enabler of grassroots development.
In Enugu East, the council chairman, Engr. Beloved-Dan Anike, flagged off the distribution of 10,000 bags of rice to 10,000 households across the council area, describing it as part of his administration’s Christmas welfare package and poverty reduction drive.
This was as Anike said the council had completed over 10km of asphalted roads, awarded scholarships to over ten thousand beneficiaries, and trained youths in different digital skills, while praising Governor Mbah for allowing statutory allocations to reach local governments without interference.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony, Anike said the initiative was inspired by the leadership philosophy of the governor, whom he described as intentional and people-oriented in governance, with a strong focus on poverty reduction in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Our motivation is drawn from the leadership style of His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, who has consistently placed the welfare of the common people first. He is deliberately reducing poverty in Enugu State, and we at the local level are following the same principle,” the chairman said.
He recalled the council’s social intervention programmes, including a 5,000 universal health coverage scheme and the distribution of 10,000 wrappers to 10,000 women, noting that the rice distribution was a continuation of deliberate pro-poor policies.
Anike explained that beneficiaries were identified through women’s cooperative societies, adding that about 400 cooperatives are undergoing capacity-building and empowerment trainings facilitated by the council.
Also speaking at the event, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Dr. Ben Nwoye, described the development strides in the state as consistent with the party’s Renewed Hope Agenda, urging residents to support the APC and participate actively in the electoral process.
In Nsukka Local Government Area, the council chairman, Chief Jude Asogwa, distributed 20,000 bags of rice to residents at the Nsukka Township Stadium, describing the gesture as part of Governor Mbah’s inclusive governance model that ensures no one is left behind.
Asogwa said the distribution adopted a batch-by-batch approach, beginning with teachers, traders, local government workers and other groups, to ensure fairness and transparency.
“We are flagging off the distribution of 20,000 bags of 10kg rice packages for Christmas. We adopted a batch-by-batch approach to ensure that it gets to everybody,” he said.
He also highlighted projects executed by his administration, including the construction of asphalt roads, provision of transformers to markets and communities, and plans to execute at least one project in every community in the council area.
Beneficiaries in both councils expressed appreciation for the interventions, describing them as timely and impactful amid prevailing economic challenges.