…scores council chairman’s performance high
Dabere Egbo & Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu
The Enugu State Economic Planning Commission has scored the Nkanu West local government administration of Hon. Uchenna Ejim high for embarking on projects which it described as humanitarian and life touching, throughout all the fourteen wards of the local government within one year of his administration.
The Commission made this known during a visit to Nkanu West Local Government Area on Thursday, August 31, 2023, to inspect completed and ongoing projects following a mandate it received from the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, to visit the entire seventeen local government areas of the state to carry out comprehensive inspection and supervision of projects executed by the council chairmen, in line with the promise of his (Mbah’s) administration to run a transparent and accountable government and to ensure effective and diligent execution of projects across the state.
Receiving the delegation from the Commission in the company of the Deputy Chairman, Hon. Chijioke Ngene and the fourteen local government legislators at the Nkanu West local council secretariat in Agbani, Hon. Uchenna Ejim, while thanking them for their visit, noted that his administration had undertaken projects in all the wards of the local government, ranging from infrastructural developments to social service projects, community development projects, economic empowerment projects and an overall improvement of the local government.
He reiterated his strong commitment to the message of disruptive innovation in governance which is the core of the Peter Mbah administration, revealing that it was one of the driving forces towards his determination to have a local government administration that was better than what he met on ground.
Some of the project sites visited by the delegation, comprising of completed and ongoing projects, were a fully equipped, state-of-the-art ICT Lab with an ongoing four weeks intensive ICT training program for Nkanu West youths, located within the council headquarters; a 50kva Perkins Electric Power Generator; ongoing six weeks intensive free holiday lesson at St. John School, Eke Agbani; ongoing construction of 3.7km Asphalt road with a 7.4km concrete drainage completed at Obinagu Uwani Akpugo, which connects neighboring communities for improved market access; construction of 11 adjoining culverts; completed construction of 14 culverts, one for each ward, with an extra culvert at Amuzu Community, Akpugo.
Others were the ongoing construction of a two-storey concrete reinforced security tower at Agbani police station; construction, equipping and rehabilitation of the military checkpoint along Amodu/Obeagu road; ongoing comprehensive renovation of Orjiagu Health Centre, Agbani and the construction of Agbani Town Hall; evacuation of a waste dump at the Nigerian Law School, Agbani and Ozalla; commencement of the complete renovation of Community School, Obinagu Uwani Akpugo; ongoing extension of rural electrification to Ameke, Ogrishi, Obodo Ede, Azu-Egu, Uno-Ofia, in Obinagu Uwani.
More projects were installation of street lights; rehabilitation of solar powered borehole at Obodo Ede square; construction of Omo bridge at Ndiagu Agwa Umuokwo and the ongoing rehabilitation of Ozalla Fire Service and erection of extra coaches on the fence of Fire Service outpost.
Speaking to Pacesetter at one of the project sites, the leader of the project team, Engr. Jude Ikechukwu Uwakwe, expressed great satisfaction with the achievements and accomplishments of Ejim’s administration.
“Coming to Nkanu West, the Mayor’s performance is enormous, compared to other local governments that we have visited.
“Seeing this bridge, the ongoing road construction, other infrastructural construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of projects are quite impressive.
“Most of the projects we have inspected today are humanitarian projects, they are life touching projects. These are very gigantic projects”, Uwakwe said.
In a briefing with Pacesetter’s correspondent, the council chairman, Hon. Uchenna Ejim, reaffirmed his commitment to serving the good people of Nkanu West and improving the communities through infrastructural development, economic advancement and community empowerment.
“Despite the challenges, the fire buring in us and the desire to serve the people rekindles every day. We welcome the challenges, pitfalls and we rise each time we fall.
“Insecurity was our greatest challenge, but we have begun to tackle and dismantle this challenge.
“We erected a security post at the boundary between Obeagu and Amodu. The State Government in collaboration with the local government has maintained joint patrol of the military and the Nigerian Police”.
He assured the people of his firm dedication towards improving Nkanu West’s health and education sector, as well as other social services and human empowerment that will greatly advance Nkanu West.
Recall that in 2022, Ejim awarded One Million Naira to Miss Somto Ekwochi, an indigene of Umueze in Nkanu West LGA who was the nationwide top performing student in the WAEC exams.
Additionally, he, along with his wife, the First Lady of the Local Government, provided significant support during the measles and yellow fever vaccination flag off at the Agbani Health Centre, among other notable achievements.