Obeagu community, in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, on Tuesday, stood still as residents trooped out in their numbers during a solidarity rally organized in honour of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the State.
Beaming with joy and excitement, the residents said the essence of the rally was to appreciate the Governor for his achievements in office and to further declare total support for him in his second tenure.
They said notable is the way the State Government, under Ugwuanyi tackled the security challenges witnessed in Awgu sometime last year, during which several residents of the local government area were kidnapped.
The community said following the government’s strategies, which included the establishment of forest guards and strengthening of the neighbourhood watch groups, normalcy had since returned to the area.
They, however, pleaded with Governor Ugwuanyi to remember them in the area of political positions, lamenting that for the past 36 years, none of their indigenes have held any political position either at the local government or state level.
Speaking at the rally, the President-General of Obeagu Town Union, Chief Abba Anthony said they gathered together to tell the Governor that their support for him remained unshakeable.
“His name is Gburugburu, and what that means in our place is somebody who is looking at even small children who are crawling, you go round and and make sure that your life affects them positively, and that is exactly the kind of Governor we have, that is how he behaves.
“So, we have gathered here today to remind him that we are still in Obeagu, that the people of Obeagu are crying telling him that we supported him during the elections, despite challenges, because we had a unique situation, that is why APC picked a Deputy Governor from our place, but our people stood resolute, made sure all our votes went to the PDP and now we are supporting him in this second tenure.
“He has done so much for us. We cried to him when our people were reading under the tree in Ijime, he responded swiftly, came to our rescue. That place now, the pupils are inside their classes studying, very happy. When I passed there, they were hailing the Governor.
“That is why we have gathered here to thank him and to plead like Oliver Twist, that he remember us in all he is doing. Though Nazareth is too small, it produced Jesus. I think if anything comes out from Obeagu, he will not regret it. Today, we are begging him to look at us,” the PG said.
Re-echoing his stand, the Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Awgu Local Government Area, Hon. Tochukwu Chukwu said “we are here to further declare our support for His Excellecny, the Executive Governor of Enugu State. We want to support him for good governance, we want to support him for security.
“You know that a few months ago, we had security issues in Awgu, but the way he tackled it, especially with the Forest Guards, normalcy was completely restored and we have been a happy people, so want to appreciate him. He has also entrenched peace in Enugu State, that’s why we have organized this solidarity march.
“He should carry on with what he is doing, because his disposition has made Enugu the most peaceful State. We are behind him and will continue to support him.
“He is a Governor that loves his people, and that is also why we are pleading with him to look into our situation. We know that he has a listening ear. We are pleading with him to look at Obeagu. In the area of elected positions, we are nowhere to be found.
“We are using this occasion to appeal to him to consider our situation, more especially the chairmanship contest in this local government election, we have waited for so long and we know that he is the only one that can wipe our tears.”
Also speaking, other community leaders, Chief Nnanyelugo Dennis, Prince A.C. Mbah, Obumneme Brown, among others, said the Governor’s achievements had been phenomenal.
“We are thanking the Governor and asking him to remember us in this 2020 local government election. Our men are not in government; we are forgotten,” said Nnanyelugo.
According to Obumneme “today is a great day in Obeagu, he is the first governor that stepped his feat in Obeagu; he is a great man, that is why everybody gathered here, many people returned from across the country, you can see even little children. We are all here to re-echo our support for his government.
On his part, Mbah said, “today’s event was out together by the people of Obeagu community to drum support for a man God brought to us in a time like this.
“I say this because Obeagu has been in political darkness for the past 37 years; we have not had any government appointment for the past 37 years, but gave us a governor that listens to everybody, so we have this opportunity to tell him we love you, we support your government, so remember us also. If not for a governor like him, we are sure we will wait for another 37 years.”
