Hon Pedro Okwudili Nwankwo, chairman, Awgu Local Government Area has expressed dismay over what he described as “unwarranted media onslaught by group of persons that doesn’t mean well for the council area.”
The chairman wondered how any right-thinking human will insinuate that he attempted to misled the economic team of the state government that visited the council area recently to ascertain areas of need.
Hon. Nwankwo said that the group sponsoring these propaganda against him is purely an opposition group that never sees anything good in whatever the government is doing and their leadership isn’t in tune with the realities on ground because they’re not in Nigeria.
“These are people that believe that they should be the chairman of our council area and all these shenanigans are aimed at discrediting our works. The convener of the group is in South Africa and not in tune with the realities on ground, this is purely about political power.
“Awgu Egbeleli is only one out of the 40 autonomous communities and this is a blackmail to turn me into a tribalistic leader and I assure them it’s not going to happen,” he maintained.
The council Chairman said that “if the article isn’t about mudslinging and faultfinding, the disinformed fellows should have known that secondary school is in the purview of the state government and I took the state Economic team to the secondary school for their intervention. How does this translate to deceiving the state team?” he asked.
Speaking on the claim that there’s no work going on in Central school, Awgu, the Council Chairman said “this further demonstrates my earlier assertion that the fabricators of that tissue of lies are not in Nigeria, not to talk of being in our state.
“As I speak to you, work is ongoing in the school which I grew up to meet dilapidated. We are almost done with the block works and this isn’t the best way to appreciate the good work going on there.”
Hon. Nwankwo while dismissing the claim that the shops at Olie Awgu market added that “these people are classical example of someone beating a drum in the bush and the same person coming out to ask who did that. These same group went to court to get an injunction to stop the project and we won them in court two years after.
“As I speak to you now, we went into partnership with interested individuals and we’re also building sample shops in the market and these things are on ground for any rationale mind to see. After doing the earth work, we are currently building a security house in the market to ensure that the place is secured and safe for our market men and women.”
When Journalist101 visited the area, the aged women lamented the tussle which they said stalled their business activities for 2 years.
Another indigene of the community who spoke to our correspondent behind the camera out of fear, said “the people fighting the local government authority because they have sold the market land in the past and are afraid that their past deeds will be exposed should the project go ahead. This is the reason they’re fighting toot and nail to stop the project,” he said.
The Chairman went on to say that “these allegations are clothed in bitterness and blind opposition because Awgu Egbeleli has received serious attention. Some of these projects include; construction of 3 classroom blocks and two office spaces for the school teachers at unity primary school, Amofia; Omala river bridge; Ngele Aja Bridge in Onoli; Onoli Primary School which has lot I and II; 2.4km Onoli-Obofia road ongoing (this is where the bridge falls in and the contract has been awarded).
“Drainage control at Amajirija Ohuagu road; bridge at Ohaja Ndiagu; bridge at Ogboli Ohaja Awgu; we provided 33kva electricity from Achi in Oji River local government area to Awgu Egbeleli and many other projects all in Awgu Egbeleli were these never do wells are making futile efforts to misinform the unsuspecting members of the public.”
The chairman also highlighted the effort of his administration in ensuring that the Federal government didn’t move the permanent orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps out their locality.
“Efforts were on top gear to move the NYSC orientation Camp out of our village, we intervened because this is about the only federal government presence in our place. We fenced the NYSC camp which is about 1.6km to secure the camp and stop the proposed removal. Our people benefit immensely from that place and we need it to continue to be in our place.
