A prominent son of Umuokpo Nkume Autonomous Community in Njaba LGA of Imo State, Mr. Tony N. Mgbudom has bemoaned the state of gullibility to which the people of the area have been reduced by politicians, saying; “politicians have deceived my people”.
Mr. Mgbudom made the assertion at the weekend, while addressing the members of Njaba LGA Chapter of Women for Change and Development Initiative, at the People’s Democratic Party, PDP; secretariat in the area.
The youthful humanist who sits atop the Tigana Conglomerate of Companies noted that owing to prolonged neglect of the people and insensitive disposition of political leaders, the masses were now crumb eaters in a land blessed with abundant natural resources. He said the uninterrupted exploitation has given rise to increased poverty, unemployment and crime in the society. While lampooning politicians who make empty promises to the people only when they are seeking re-election, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Tigana Oil and Gas Industries Ltd, called on his listeners to have nothing to do with such politicians, as according to him, the days are over for such recurring decimal.
Said he: “I have been in overseas; I never knew that the living standard of my people of Njaba LGA has degenerated to such appalling and regrettable level. They have been neglected; there is poverty written boldly on their faces; the strangulating penury is quite conspicuous. There are no roads. The youths have no job, it has always been deception galore, empty promises garnished with tasteless jollof rice and a bottle of beer. I think by now we must have been tired of these calculated affronts on our sensibilities and seek an end to it”.
Mr. Mgbudom, who empowered 100 women with N25,000 each through the Women for Change Initiative at the occasion, explained that he deemed it wise to start from somewhere in tackling the ravaging poverty, which he said, was gradually killing the people by the day.
He urged the beneficiaries to start petty trading with the money, promising that in no distant time, he would establish an interest-free micro-finance outfit to ensure that women and youths in the area whose problem is capital to be engaged in business, would be taken care of without ado. He also announced that plans are underway to establish industries to provide employment for the teeming youths roaming the streets.
In appreciation to Mr Mgbudom’s benevolence, the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Njaba LGA chapter, Dr Theo Ezeala expressed surprise over Mr Mgbudom’s magnanimity, explaining that it was the first time in the political history of the area a non aspirant was touching the lives of the indigent folks in that manner. Dr Ezeala, while praying for God’s protection and blessings for Mr Mgbudom, called on indigenes of the area to emulate him. Lending her voice, the Coordinator, Women for Change and Development Initiative in the LGA, Mrs Georgina Duru thanked Mr Mgbudom for remembering the women in a special way. Mrs Duru informed that the selection of the beneficiaries cut across all the wards in the LGA, and those reached were the poorest of the poor.
It would be recalled that a forth night ago, Mr Mgbudom embarked on a comprehensive electrification of his community, Umuokpo with the donation of a 500KVA transformer, just as he offered scholarship to five brilliant indigenes of the area up to tertiary level.
