By Kenneth Onuoha
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, provided solar-powered boreholes to two communities after 11 years of fetching water from local wells.
Ugwuanyi commissioned the boreholes and 20,000-litre capacity storage tanks at Nduno-Uwani Akpugo autonomous community and Ndiagu-Uwani Akpugo autonomous community in Nkanu West Local Government Area.
Represented by the state’s Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Manfred Nzekwe, Ugwuanyi said that the projects were direct and quick intervention to alleviate the age-long suffering of the people.
According to him, the gesture was a way of the government’s demonstration of its concern for development and wellbeing of rural areas, especially for the benefit of the downtrodden in both communities.
“I want to thank both communities for their unrelenting effort in supporting my administration.
“My administration acknowledges your massive and en-block vote to the PDP and your continuous prayer for the success of my administration.
“I have heard other requests of the communities and I am assuring that it will be given due attention according to available financial resources,’’ he said.
The Governor, who did not state the amount involved in the projects, added, “What is necessary is the thousands of people in the eight villages in both communities the projects will benefit.’’
Speaking, Mr Johnpaul Anih, Special Assistant to Gov. Ugwuanyi on Youth Affairs, appreciated him for approving and directing the immediate construction of the projects within a space of few weeks.
Anih, who is an indigene of one of the communities and attracted the projects, lauded the people of both communities for cooperating with the government and contractor to finish the projects on time.
He, however, appealed to the state government to assist in the construction of rural roads in the communities, adding that the residents are yearning for ring road that would connect all the villages together.
“The governor should consider converting one of our primary schools into a secondary school to safe our children from trekking long distance (or exorbitant daily transport fee) to secondary schools in neighbouring big towns,’’ he appealed.
In his remarks, Igwe Innocent Ogbodo, Traditional Ruler of Ndiagu-Uwani Akpugo autonomous community, appreciated Ugwuanyi and their son, Anih, for alleviating the age-long suffering of the people.
Ogbodo, who spoke on behalf of both autonomous communities, assured that the projects would be protected from vandals and criminals.
“We will use our local vigilante, hunters and even the forest guards to ensure no one vandal these projects,’’ the traditional ruler said after the projects were handled over to the communities.
A resident of Nduno-Uwani autonomous community, Ma Patience Okenwa, thanked the Governor for making life easier for her and her entire household with the provision of the solar-powered borehole.