Lawan Inaugurates Projects in Abia Communities, Harps on Rural Devt

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has said the federal government under the control of All Progressives Congress(APC) remains committed to the development of rural areas through the provision of the needed infrastructure.

He stated this at the weekend during a whistle-stop inauguration of rural projects across three local governments – Isuikwuato, Bende and Ohafia- in Abia State, facilitated by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
Lawan noted that the rural roads and water projects brought to the communities by Kalu, who represents Abia North in the Senate, were evidence of the importance the APC attached to rural development.

“The APC administration believes in developing rural areas. Our rural communities remain uppermost in our minds,” he said.

According to him, without opening up the rural communities, the agricultural policy of the federal government would not achieve the desired objective of food security, economic diversification and job creation.

He said the volume of agricultural activities that take place in the rural areas required that farm produce must be evacuated to the markets where they are needed, adding that with good network of rural roads the farmer would be encouraged to produce more food.

Accompanied by his host, Senator Kalu and Senators Theodore Orji(Abia Central), Frank Ibezim(Imo North), and Opeyemi Bamidele(Ekiti Central), Lawan first arrived at Uturu in Isuikwuato local government where he inaugurated Nvurunvu road, a two kilometers  asphalted rural road with drainages.

He said he never imagined that he would one day set his foot on Uturu and other rural communities he visited in Abia, adding that the Senate Chief Whip made it possible by attracting the developmental projects and inviting him to inaugurate them.

Other inaugurated projects included phase 1 of 4km Agbo, Amoji Lodu Ring road, phase 1 of 4km Amokwe Item – Ukwu Rubber rural farmers road, Agbaja Nkporo road (7.5km), Umu Imenyi road (2km) and Amankalu Alayi road (2km) as well as water borehole projects in Agbaja, Amuri and Enugwu Nkporo.

Senator Kalu promised to complete the second phase of the Amoji Lodu Ring road and called on the rural folks to sustain their support for the APC.

In appreciation of the projects executed for them, each of the benefitting communities conferred chieftaincy titles on the Senate President and the Chief Whip and entertained them with cultural displays.

Meanwhile, youth leaders under the aegis of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders(COSEYL) has lauded the Senate Chief Whip for attracting projects to his constituency within a space of three years of representation.

In a statement signed by its president, Goodluck Ibem, the group said the projects that came about through Kalu’s, “rewarding and fruitful representation” have gone a long way in alleviating the sufferings of rural dwellers and added value to their lives.

The Coalition urged other senators to emulate Kalu by attracting projects to the people they represent instead of hiding their underperformance with the excuse that the job of legislators is only to make laws.

“The quality and result oriented representation of Senator Kalu has proved that he is a goal-getter and a good manager of human resources whose interest in governance is to put smiles on the faces of his people,” said COSEYL.