Words alone can’t capture the jubilation and excitement that enveloped Amawuihie Autonomous Community, Ubomiri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State, last week, following restoration of power to the community by Senator Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, after more than two years of darkness.
The celebration in the community which took delivery of brand new ABB 500KVA transformer, replicated itself in many other communities of Imo East Senatorial District, namely Amaruru, Iho Demeze, Ikeduru, Bishops Court, Owerri Municipal, Umulolo, Ogbe, Ahiazu Mbaise and Imerienwe, Ngor Okpala Local Government Areas.
These communities also took delivery of brand new 300KVA transformers from the lawmaker.
His Royal Highness C.R Amadi of Amawuihie Autonomous Community, tried in his speech to capture the exultant mood of his people on the intervention, with his touching confession that Senator Onyewuchi is the first federal legislator since 1999 to provide any kind of democracy dividend to the community.
The monarch also pointed out that his people were overjoyed and jubilant because Senator Onyewuchi power intervention support programme which restored light to the town after two years of total darkness, came at a time they had almost lost all hope of getting assistance from any quarter.
He revealed that the donation was the second time since the present 4th republic that his people are being appreciated for their electoral support, revealing that the other elected representative who has remembered them is Hon Okey Onyekanma, of Imo House of Assembly who, empowered women with three hundred thousand naira donation.
As practical gesture of appreciation to the lawmaker, he announced the decision of the community to bestow him with one of the highest traditional titles in the land.
With the title Eze Amadi stressed that Senator Onyewuchi as a son of Amawuihie is no longer expected to bother himself campaigning for votes in community because he is guaranteed of one hundred percent support and votes in all future elections there.
In Umulolo, Ogbe, Ahiazu Mbaise, HRH Eze Pat Iheoma said the speed with which the community energized the transformer was a clear indication of how desperately they had yearned for it.
He described the donation as practical proof of appreciation of support extended to Senator Onyewuchi by not only Umulolo village and Ogbe community but, the entire Mbaise nation in 2019, pointing out that memory of the gesture will linger till 2023.
Apart from traditional rulers, community and political leaders in the various benefitting communities not only heaped praises on the lawmaker but, also, strongly assured him of support in his future political career.
Hon Okey Onyekanma, member representing Mbaitoli State Constituency lauded the prompt intervention of the lawmaker in the lingering issue of power outage in various communities in the zone, adding that his good works will speak for him.
In their separate contributions, apex leaders of the PDP in Mbaitoli, Ahiazu Mbaise, and Ngor Okpala Local Government Areas, Dr Josiah Udunna, Chief Desmond Ugwuibe and Chief Emmanuel Nwaogu declared that the lawmaker has redefined legislative representation by giving it a human face.
According to them for the first time since 1999, people are now seeing a lawmaker who is combining lawmaking with execution of capital projects, a far cry from what obtained in the past when representatives did practically nothing by hiding under the cover of being lawmakers.
They said their people will remain grateful for the appreciation of the support given to him and other PDP candidates in 2019, even as they lauded his pragmatic policy of making election campaigns easy for the PDP through massive projects execution across the zone.
Handing over the brand new transformers to the various communities, Senator Onyewuchi who represents Imo East Senatorial District, Owerri Zone, in the Senate, said he donated the transformers as part of his power intervention programme in communities that have had power problem for one year and above.
He said the programme will touch many communities in the nine local governments of the zone, adding that his office came up with the initiative to thank them for their past support and as a strategy to raise the tempo of socioeconomic activities in the communities.
The lawmaker who explained that he derives immense joy and satisfaction serving his constituents, assured that he will continue to work hard to make them happy, since it is a mandate handed down to him by his creator.
He also expressed the hope that the return of light in the communities will ignite the light in people’s hearts so that all will work together in brotherly love for the growth and development of their communities and zone at large.
He praised the communities for voting him and other PDP candidates in the last election, pointing out that as the only hope of the people for genuine democracy and good governance the PDP will continue to work hard to put smiles on their faces.
In one of the benefitting communities, Umulolo, Ogbe, the event literally transformed into double celebration, as the lawmaker was presented various products made by women beneficiaries of his numerous empowerment programmes.
The women, Mrs Grace Keke, Mrs Amarachi Nwachukwu, Mrs Elizabeth Nwoke beneficiaries in catering/ culinary and Mrs Antonia Ibeawuchi Soap and detergent, took turns to present their handiwork to an elated Senator Onyewuchi.
He commended them for putting the skills they acquired into practice, adding that their efforts would serve as motivating tonic for him to do more.
