By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The people of Ogwu-Aniocha and Ogwu-Ikpele communities in Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA), Saturday, expressed happiness and joy following intervention of the lawmaker representing the federal constituency, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene on their plights.
Ogene had in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), distributed many relief materials, including bags of rice, garri, groundout oil, cartons of maggi, towels, clothing, mosquitoes, mattress, plastic buckets, among others to the people of oil producing communities whose homes have been devastated for over three years.
The people, it was learnt, were turned into Internally Displaced persons (ID), amidst fears, hunger and crisis occasioned by lack of government presence, invasion of unknown gunmen and effects of oil exploration in the area which gave Anambra State 13% derivatives yet neither governor Chukwuma Soludo nor his predecessor, Willie Obiano cared to come to their rescue.
Ogwu-Aniocha which has neither road nor infrastructure development, is without a traditional ruler since their Monarch was abducted about three years ago while Ogwu-Ikpele, also suffering the same fate lost their traditional ruler to death this year.
The Southeast Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, Mrs Ngọzi Echeazu, while distributing the relief materials, hailed Ogene for championing the cause of his people, noting that it was his power lobbying and consistent crying over their plights made National Director General, NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar and federal government to support the project.
Echeazu, who urged them to continue supporting the lawmaker with a view to enabling him to attract more developmental projects and supports to them, noted that the federal government would now focus attention on them.
Ogene, who recently employed or appointed 70 aides from all parts of Ogbaru in order to speed up his legislative duties as well as empower the populace, said he would never relent in making the constituents happy.
He has equally trained and empowered 100 persons from the communities and other parts of Ogbaru Federal Constituency on renewable energy, focusing on solar energy installation and maintenance, over the weekend.
According to the lawmaker, who is also Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy, the three-day training, organised in collaboration with the Border Communities Agency (BCDA) and MODESCOM Solution Limited, was aimed at promoting self-dependence and economic growth.
He further maintained that the beneficiaries would receive start-up equipment, funding, and logistical support to enable them to earn a living in the renewable energy sector as well as create employments and green city.
Some of the participants at the training, including Mr Nnamdi Obiekie and Miss Faith John, shared their excitement about learning the intricacies of solar energy installation and maintenance, noting that they would never relent in making career in the sector.