Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency
By Remy Okafor
Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency: I stumbled upon a footage where the lawmaker
representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu (Omeiheukwu)
addressed a gathering at the Isikwe Achi residence of a Labour Party chieftain, Hon. Osita Eze (Egbeigwe),
who recently returned to the PDP. Anayo Onwuegbu claimed that certain people sat on a dam project
he attracted to Adu Achi many years ago, which was supposed to provide potable water, electricity and
boost agricultural production and fishing across all the Oji River communities. He claimed that it
was in Toby’s second term that he (Omeiheukwu) was awarded a contract for the road leading to Isikwe Achi to enhance the ex-lawmaker’s chances of securing a third term. He said only 2.5km of the road was built of which only 1.5km was paid for as at the Easter break.
One begins to wonder how anybody could sit on a project, which he attracted. For how long was this and
what role was he playing in it? Was he a contractor or someone acting on goodwill? He needs to throw some light on this.
He also failed to state that he was a major contractor to the former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi regime, which promised
to do Isikwe Achi road, but failed. He never put pressure to it. So, Toby intervened to do the road. Besides, one wonders where else he did a road for Toby’s third term.
Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency: the awgu people
Clearly, Omeiheukwu, has set out on the wrong foot in his representation of the Greater Awgu people.
For instance, I did not expect Omeiheukwu to steer bad blood, as he does at every opportunity, particularly
at Achi, by giving the people the impression that someone somewhere sat on the Adu Achi dam project he
claimed to have attracted. Informed people would be forced to ask him who sat on the yet to be completed
Ivo River Dam attracted by Senator Ike Ekweremadu in Aninri, which, by the way, was awarded to his (Omeiheukwu’s)
company – ANBEEZ Ltd and the damaged spillway is yet to be repaired. Good enough, from being a contractor, he has graduated to being a representative in government. We expect him to bundle out whatever ass that sat on Adu Achi Dam project, as he claimed.
What is clear is that our present representative, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, mixes up his role as a contractor. Anytime
he is awarded a project, he presumes that he is doing the community a favour and that he attracted the said project to them.
The same goes for the Nkwo Inyi – Alum – Anambra border to Akpugoeze project attracted by Hon. Toby Okechukwu, which
he continues to assert that he attracted. But hell no! These projects were attracted by his predecessor, Toby. And it was not for
the purpose of any third term, but for the betterment of our people and development of our constituency.
Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency: the interventions
Toby’s interventions in Isikwe Achi, Achi as a whole, and Oji River are all well known. They include the town hall at Isikwe Achi,
erosion control and road projects in Agbadala Achi, road project at Egwu Achi, Agu Ugwu, Ugwuoba, Obunne Inyi community
road as well as urban renewal project ,including street numbering and road signages in Oji River and installation of solar-powered
electricity at Eke-Egbo, Oji River, Nkwo Inyi, Oji Urban, and Ugwuoba, etc.
Toby did motorised boreholes in Agbalenyi, School of Health Inyi, Ametiti, Ozegu Enugu Inyi, Obunne Inyi, Nkpokolo Achi, Agbadala Achi,
Awlaw Isiama, Nkwumi Awlaw, Oji River Urban Market, Ugwuoba Agungu community, Akpugoeze community, Enugu Agu Achi
Mbaogu Kingdom, and Umuagu Inyi. Or shall we not mention the construction of the police station at Inyi and renovation of Community
Secondary School, Ugwuoba; Central School, Umuome Inyi; Central School, Umuchime, Enugu Inyi; and Technical School, Ihe Achi, among others.
These are in addition to the distribution of Science kits to 54 secondary schools and training of science teachers in the same number of schools
in Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, plus the distribution of desks to public schools in the constituency as well as instruction materials, etc.
the development
Quite significantly, the Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Toby Okechukwu combination is something the people of Greater Awgu will count themselves
lucky to have experienced because the developments recorded by their altruism and quality representation were remarkable. And there are many
benefits from them for the people of Oji River that the likes of Omeiheukwu cannot obliterate from the consciousness of this generation and posterity
of Oji in particular and Greater Awgu and Enugu State in general.
It is instructive that it took the cancellation of the Master Holding contract on Oji-Awgu road to ensure the realization of that single most important
road for our people. There is the Oji River-Achi Mmaku – Awgu road with a spur to Enugu – Port Harcourt expressway,
Oji-Achi-Mmaku, Awgu-Ndeaboh-Mpu-Okpanku-Akaeze (Section II) road project, Nenwe-Oduma-Uburu road with a spur to
Ishiagu, the reconstruction of the Old Enugu-Portharcourt Road from Agbogugu-Ihe-Owelli Court-Ugbo-Ogugu-Nenwe-Mgbowo that
will continue all the way to Awgu Town and to Abia State border, and the ongoing Ugwueme-Nenwenta-Nkwe-Ezere-Awgunta-Obeagu-Mgbidi-Mmaku road project.
There is equally the total rehabilitation of the Old Enugu – Onitsha Road to the benefit of the good people of Oji, including Omeiheukwu,
while work is still ongoing on the remaining part of the road, which stretches from Opi Junction to Ukehe, Okpatu, Aboh, Udi all the way to Anambra border.
What of the ongoing Enugu-Onitsha expressway (9th Mile – 82 Division) road project, 9th Mile – Nsukka road all by RCC, Nenwe – Nomeh – Mburubu – Nara road (with a spur to Oduma), by Arab Contractors?
much work to be done
As I stated, there is still a lot of work to be done. Surely, Toby and Ekweremadu have done their bits. To right-thinking people of Greater Awgu,
Toby Okechukwu, whom Omeiheukwu succeeded has done his bit. Omeiheukwu now has the platform to do his bit, his manner of
entry into the green chamber notwithstanding. He has the floor to showcase the stuff he is made of, and possibly outperform Toby to the joy of Greater Awgu.
The ball is now in Omeiheukwu’s court. Good enough, he inherited a solid foundation in the form of several projects already put in
the pipleline by his predecessors and all that he needs to do is to follow up. My fear, however, is that he might never get to score if he continues
with his obsession with his predecessors and living in excuses. Four years appear long, but I can bet him that the four years will be gone before
he could finish counting the fingers on his hands.
He should emulate our leader and governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah. We have not seen him complain or resort to excuses
over what his predecessor did or failed to do.
He has instead rolled up his sleeves to do the work he was elected to do. Even Senator Osita Ngwu knows that he has stepped
into a big shoe. He has silently been moving on, establishing the proper networks for the job. So, my mission here is to redirect
Omeiheukwu to do his job. This is the time for governance. He should not appropriate private interactions with the Member representing Oji in the State Assembly as plenary sessions of the National Assembly to cast innuendos on his predecessors.
the community
We are glad that he has personally attracted a N1bn intervention in Oji River for a hospital. We are also happy that he visited
Agbada Achi and was ashamed of the road to that community. We now await his legislative intervention in these areas.
It is equally striking that he always chooses Achi to launch his missiles of misinformation and jabs at his predecessors. But he
should remember that he represents Greater Awgu, including Ugwuoba, Oji-Urban, Inyi, Akpugoeze, and the twenty other communities in Awgu LGA as well as over five communities in Aninri LGA. And they are all waiting for their shares of projects and other democratic goodies.
Lastly, in years past, Omeiheukwu was the businessman/contractor. He benefitted so much from the goodwill of Toby and Ikeoha.
Now that the table has turned and these people are private citizens, it is time to reciprocate the kind gestures of yesteryears. After all, one good turn deserves another. Where he finds it difficult to reciprocate measure to measure to the favour done to him, he should at least extend the same to our other constituents.