By Onyekachi Eze
The recently held flag off exercise for the Rural Access and Mobility Project, RAMP, across the 27 Council Areas of Imo State by the Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha led ‘rebuild’ Imo administration has received bumper accolades from a concerned Imolite, Dikejiejemba Chuks Chilaka.
The State government last week flagged off a thirteen billion naira, 13.5bn WorldBank assisted program with the objective of developing the rural areas of the States of the federation.
It was gathered that Imo is the 5th State in the federation to queue into the RAMP 2 program having swiftly paid the counterpart fund on assumption of office of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
In a commendation message to that effect, Dikejiejemba Chuks Chilaka, a member of the ITC management committee said that was truly a giant feat for a government less than one hundred days in office.
He described it as a fulfilment of the governor’s campaign promises of not leaving any stone unturned in the development of the rural dwellers, noting that every community forms an integral part of the nation’s building.
Eulogizing chief Ihedioha for not lagging back on his promises, Chilaka averred that the State would increase obviously in the sectors it had not done well in the past 8 years of Rochas Okorocha.
Further giving the importance of changing the surface and environment of the villages with the massive road constructions, the Ahiazu Mbaise born politician opined that if actually the government of the day could go miles in seeking ways of alleviating the sufferings of the masses within the short duration he has been in office, he would do massive things before his one year as a governor, calling on all hands to be on deck.
Chilaka recalled that in a situation where there is no accessible roads to farms and markets, production would reduce, as well as redundancy in development.
Speaking further, he reiterated that Imo State was left in disarray and shambles under the APC government in the State, maintaining that the PDP government has changed the signature to inclusive, working government.
Chilaka aligned his reasons to the governor’s exact words which read,
“I have always said that the bulk of our resources as a people – human and material, lie in the rural areas. Their welfare is thus paramount in the quest to grow the GDP of our State. Providing access to them is key, as it opens them up to several possibilities viz; improved access to markets for their agricultural produce, to quality healthcare, to better education, to technology, cultural integration and to development generally”.
“Provision of access to the rural areas can also stem the urban-rural migration, which has been a hallmark of our recent demographic history”.
However, he said, a governor with such mindset would need nothing else from the governed other than continued prayers, supports and good will.
