FELIX NWANERI 
FELIX NWANERI writes on the recent interface between the chairman, IgboEze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, and indigenes resident in Lagos State where issues bordering on development of the area were discussed
The Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State literally relocated to Lagos on Sunday, February 23.
The occasion was an interactive session initiated by the chairman of the council, Uche Ogalla with Igbo-Eze North stakeholders in Lagos. It was a convergence of politicians, business titans and top public servants from the area.
Virtually all the principal officers and other key stakeholders of the area assembled in the nation’s business hub for a heart-to-heart discussion with indigenes of the council.
The event had the imprimatur of the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah. Participants at the high-profile event were unanimous that Governor Mbah had set the uncommon pace for a radical transformation of Enugu, the Coal City state.
Ogala, on his opening remarks, said he considered the interactive session strategic given the place of Lagos not only as a centre of excellence but because of its huge investment potential and human capital resource.
He said the whole idea was to interface with the people of the council area, who were equal stakeholders in Igbo-Eze North. Represented by Secretary to the Local Government, Onyekachi Eya, he said the council chairman has keyed into the disruptive innovation drive of the state government to ensure delivery of democracy dividends to the people of Igbo-Eze North.
According to him, the council chairman is working round the clock to surpass the expectations of the people of the Local government area in line with Governor Mbah’s determined efforts to engender a paradigm shift in governance geared towards transforming the state.
His words: “In Enugu, our dear governor has introduced what he calls disruptive innovation. In Enugu, we are witnessing the practice of ‘politics usual’.
There is a complete paradigm shift from the old order. To the governor, the whole essence of governance is for the good of the people. “And without wasting time, immediately our council chairman, Uche Ogalla was sworn in, he also keyed into the vision of the governor.”
Eya said Ogalla’s leadership agenda is christened JETA, which translates to Justice, Equity, Transformation and Accountability, noting that the council chairman is an ardent believer in the people and runs an open-door policy of governance.
He wooed Igbo-Eze North stakeholders in Lagos to support the efforts of the council chairman by bringing their investments home to augment the giant and developmental strides of both the state and local government area.
Speaking on Ogalla’s achievements within100 days on office, the Igbo-Eze North PDP chairman, Dr. Solomon Ogiri, said the council chairman has so far executed transformative development projects across key sectors, hence earning the respect and admiration of his people.
He reeled out various projects executed by Ogalla to include the grading and expansion of all major rural roads in the 20 political wards of Igbo-Eze North thereby enhancing connectivity between villages and free movement of people.
Ogiri also highlighted several roads rehabilitated by Ogalla since assumption of office, noting that Igbo-Eze North has witnessed a revolution in road infrastructure.
He added that the council chairman has made significant strides in improving security in Igbo-Eze North and informed that the mayor has been meeting with various security outfits across the wards to ensure peace in the villages.
Currently, he said, there is an ongoing installation of security cameras in different wards to boost surveillance and deter crime in the local government. Dr. Ogiri said part of the measures the council chairman has adopted is with regards to enhancing the welfare of neighbourhood watch members to motivate them in their critical role of maintaining community security.
He also noted that Ogalla’s administration has shown strong commitment to supporting the people of Igbo-Eze North, particularly during the holiday season.
The PDP chairman further noted that Mrs Ogalla has also been actively involved in supporting the council, particularly the women, adding that it was a testament to the administration’s focus on empowering women and community development.
Dr Ogiri also pointed out that the local government chairman has done excellently well in the provision of health instruments/ drugs to health centres in the area as well as in rural electrification and agriculture. Part of the plans of the council chairman is to modernise the Ozzi market, asphalt Lagos street in the market, and also the Igogoro-Okpo Amaja road.
In his response, a business mogul and one of the major stakeholders in Igbo-Eze North, Don Chris, expressed joy over the initiative by the council chairman to interface with people in Lagos.
He urged Ogalla to continue to create more enabling environment for investment in IgboEze North and enjoined people of the Council area in Lagos to always think home.
Don Chris announced that through his efforts, Enugu Ezike would soon have one of the best private universities in the country. He also informed dignitaries at the event that he has secured all approvals for the take off of the institution.
We encourage that this stakeholder engagement should continue and extend across the country, where our people reside to get honest feedback and input from the people
Also speaking, Secretary to the Organising Committee of the event, Festus Ayogu, thanked the local government chairman and his team for initiating the interface with Ezike people resident in Lagos.
He advised the council boss to sustain such gestures as that would provide him the requisite feedback from the people. Ayogu commended Ogalla for his opendoor policy and determination to transform Igbo-Eze North.
He reminded the council boss that the reward for hard work is more work and cautioned that the expectations from Ezike people from him are very high and that he should ensure that he does not disappoint them. A media consultant and member of the organising committee, Mr. Willy Eya, on his part, commended the chairman for keying into the vision of Governor Mbah.
Eya who is also a PDP stakeholder, praised the council chairman for working round the clock to improve the lives of people of the Council area. He stressed the need for all council chairmen in the state to complement the dogged efforts of the governor to make Enugu the envy of all in Nigeria.
The Ezike Diamond Club also presented a position paper to the chairman, in which it highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement in governance, while proposing various initiatives to improve infrastructure, economy, security, and public services in the council.
In the paper presented by Mr. Felix Abugu, a member of the club and Managing Director of Abeya News, an online publication, the elite organisation commended Ogalla for the initiative of holding consultations with the good people of Igbo-Eze North.
He said the move was in the right direction as effective communication is key to good governance, adding that democracy, being government of the people, by the people, and for the people, assumes that governance will be more receptive if the policies and projects of government are aligned with the wishes and aspirations of the people.
Part of the paper reads: “As a club that has always advocated for a healthy public-private collaboration in governance, we encourage that this stakeholder engagement should continue and extend across the country, where our people reside to get honest feedback and input from the people.
“The feedback from these engagements should be incorporated into a well-articulated needs assessment that will evaluate our infrastructure, public services, and socio-economic needs, which will be required to develop strategic planning for short- and long-term goals.”
The club also proposed enhancing the local government structures and administrative efficiency through training, transparency, and accountability.
It equally recommended a productive workforce in order to harness the potential of the local government and save a lot of outsourcing costs, adding that the spirit of hard work and the love for the progress should be inculcated into the workforce and the political appointees of the council to drive innovation and delivery of value.
The club’s document further stated: “That the vision for infrastructure should be to improve transportation within the Local government area to boost trade and attract external investors, particularly in agriculture and palm produce. A review of the road network in the local government is necessary to identify priority roads for rehabilitation.
The Mkpamte-IgogoroIkpamodo-Okpo-Amaja road and the UmuidaAguibeje road are crucial in complementing the ongoing OgruteUmuopu road project. These are major feeders that connect a lot of villages. “Additionally, town planning activities should be heightened in the LGA.
Ogrute is developing haphazardly, with many lands and properties lacking proper access. Poorly planned narrow roads will lead to future traffic congestion and slum development. Rural planning should prioritize larger estate plots to reflect the availability of land resources.”
To boost the economy, the club recommended that the local government should promote entrepreneurship and small business growth, saying that quick wins include supporting farming initiatives and establishing cottage industries while providing incentives for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
It recommended that the Eke Ozzi Market should be further modernized to attract external patronage while the road-side trading especially at the Amufie road end should be discouraged due to the safety risk that the situation poses to the lives of the people.
On public services, the club said major achievements should focus on upgrading healthcare facilities and ensuring access to medical care in rural villages.
It also noted that strengthening schools, libraries, and vocational training programmes will empower youth and discourage crime in the Local Government.
The club among others recommended that to further support youth development, a skill acquisition centre should be established, integrating both an ICT centre of excellence and vocational training, observing that the initiative will not only serve as a training ground but also attract economic activities.
It said the Ogrute General Hospital should be made fully operational and noted that despite previous investments, it is underutilized due to doctors prioritizing their private hospitals over government service.
As security conditions improve in the local government, the club recommended that efforts should be sustained to maintain a peaceful coexistence of the people. According to the club, the initiatives can be prioritized into immediate, medium-term and long-term goals and objectives.
Dignitaries at the event include the Managing Director of Greatville Hotels, Kelvin Ayogu(Okpoko) immediate past chairman of Igbo-Eze North, Engr Ejike Itodo; Director General of Uche Ogalla Campaign Organisation, Barr. Ifeanyi Eze and Managing Director of Ezetech, Engr Ifeanyi Eze.
Highlight of the Town Hall meeting was the donation of a Toyota Sienna Bus to the Igbo-Eze North PDP by a stakeholder in the local government, Mr. Willy Eya.
