By Prince Ejeh Josh
…as Mbah promises to harness local contents, improve rural infrastructure
The people of Adada and Mbanano Development Centres in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State have vowed to partner with the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Peter Mbah, in area of agriculture in order to create the much desired value chain in their production inputs.
Representatives of the various communities who stated this at town-hall meetings in Umulokpa and Nkpologu, headquarters of the development centres, when the gubernatorial flagbearer visited the area, added that they would convert their huge population to electoral victory for the candidate.
In their separate remarks, the chairman of the council area, Hon. Chukwudi Nnadozie, the senator representing Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Barr. Josephat Okika, Dr. Barth Nwankwo, Barr. Titus Ugwuonna and Hon. Cornelius Onwubuya stressed that the PDP has no rival in the council area as victory for the party was already decided.
They, however, urged Dr. Mbah to explore the huge mineral deposits and agricultural resources in the communities to create wealth and employments for their teeming youths and unemployed graduates.
According to them, Uzo Uwani council area fits into the outstanding development plans already presented by the party’s guber flagbearer in the areas of skills acquisition, technical education, and institute of agriculture.
The stakeholders, while bemoaning the state of Umulokpa – Nkume road, Umulokpa – Uvuru – Onubeogbo road, and Umulokpa – Onitsha expressway, appealed to Dr. Mbah to construct the roads to ease investment and their farming activities.
On their part in Adada development centre, Senator Utazi lauded the PDP for giving them the opportunity to produce key political offices including the senate of the federal republic, saying “We will work for the victory of Dr. Peter Mbah and our party at the polls.”
While presenting their priority needs which they described as urgent, the communities appealed for the upgrade of the Adada Secondary School to a college of agriculture, construction of the Ogbede-Aku-Nkpologu link road, completion of the Nkpologu Dam, revival of the Adada Agricultural Development Project, resuscitation of the glass factory for silicon and, coal exploration both at Nkpunator, and construction of multiple boreholes in the area.
The Adada leaders, who included Hon. Chiemerie Dieke, Hon. Kingsley Ani, Hon. Anthony Chigbo, Mrs. Rita Anigbo, Hon. Lazarus Ogbonna, Barr. Jonathan Chukwuma, Princess Nwanneka Okoro and other speakers, described the governorship hopeful as God’s gift to the state.
They expressed optimism that Dr. Mbah, who comes from the private sector where he successfully manages different companies of repute, will bring unprecedented industrial revolution through his experiences in administration.
Speaking with newsmen, a stakeholder from the area, Hon. Patrick Uburu, said they had absolute confidence in Dr. Mbah’s leadership qualities and exceptional capacity to execute his excellent plans for the state which will grow the economy beyond expectation.
Hon. Uburu, who hailed Dr. Mbah for his vision in the agricultural sector and his proposed world class rice mill industry in Uzo Uwani, insisted that the gesture would expand the economy of the area, meaningfully and financially engage the youths, add more revenue to the council, raise the financial bar of the women and give the people a sense of economic inclusiveness.
He said they had already engaged eligible voters in different communities and villages in the agrarian local government and they’d bought into the PDP agenda. “Dr. Peter Mbah is going to win with large numbers of votes. We have started the mobilisation work for his candidacy. We believe that Dr. Peter Mbah and Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai are the two perfect persons that our state presently need for the job. So, we are going from door to door to spread his message to the people. We are pushing the narrative of innovation, industrialisation and transformation,” Hon. Uburu added.
Responding to the demands made by the people at the well attended town-hall meetings, the captain of industry assured of his administration’s commitment to harness the huge mineral deposits and agricultural potentials in the development centres which will enable strategic development in the state.
Dr. Mbah maintained that attention would be given to critical infrastructure in the area, especially the construction of all the roads leading to their business places, markets, farmlands and communities adding that such will attract investors and boost employment opportunities for the youths.
He observed that part of the solution to insecurity is to engage the youths in productive enterprises by creating enabling environment for them to fulfill their potentials through training and empowerment.
According to him, the kind of development envisaged by his administration requires a healthy workforce which will necessitate total overhaul of both the primary and secondary healthcare system where resident doctors and community health workers will work across the hospitals. He added that the plan, when put in place, will minimize infant and maternal mortalities.
Underscoring the strategic importance of the large hectares of land laying fallow in the area, the ruling party’s candidate said he would designate the zone a special economic zone with the establishment of agro-allied processing industries that will create values in the chain of production to the end-users.
Dr. Mbah, who also described himself as a product of justice, equity and fairness, promised to address injustice and ensure the right things are done in the state even as he urged the people to collect their permanent voter’s cards and vote for all the candidates of the party.
