COMMUNITIES IN ENUGU STATE TO RECEIVE ₦10M EACH FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
Four hundred and seventy-two communities in Enugu State are to receive ten million naira each for development projects in their areas. The Director, Directorate of Visit Every Community, VEC, Dr. Eric Oluedo announced this while on tour of some communities in Ezeagu Local Government area of the State.
Four communities visited are Ihuonyia Oghe, Amansiodo Oghe, Neke Oghe and Oyofo Oghe. The 2017 VEC team was set up by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to inspect the state of projects in all the communities in the State initiated by the immediate past administration to ascertain the extent of work done to ensure that no project was left uncompleted.
The team also has an additional task which is to identify six priority projects in the communities that could directly empower the people and make life easier for them. The first point of call was Ihuonyia Oghe, a community which has no access road.
The people of the area appealed to the state government to fix their roads and provide them with a borehole to save them from the hardship they faced on daily basis.
“Our people are predominantly farmers, when they produce in the farm there is no road to take the produce out.”
“At times, when rain falls, you cannot see Okada because the road is bad and motor is not available. We also need borehole.”
The other communities, Amansiodo Oghe, Neke Oghe and Oyofo Oghe commended the team for the visit and expressed the hope that their six key development needs would be attended to urgently.
“Most of our children in the community are suffering because of the distance to the school, there is no desk, no chairs, toilet facilities, some are even sitting on the ground while learning.”
“When facilities are here; water supply, electricity, Health centre, good road, skill acquisition centres, there will be no need for movement again.”
Earlier the Head of VEC, Dr Eric Oluedo promised that the ten million naira would be disbursed in two installments and would be closely monitored to ensure proper utilization of the fund.
“The Governor has mapped out ₦4.5billion, he will release the first ₦5m, then we monitor them.”
Meanwhile, the 2017 VEC Team Leader for Ezeagu Local Government Area, Mr. Nelson Edeh frowned at the level of dilapidation of some infrastructure in some of the communities and advised the people to do more to protect the facilities.
“Some have facilities they could maintain, but they are not doing that. Some are even cutting their road in the name of collecting sand for building and is not good.”
The visit witnessed large turnout in all the communities.
NNEKA UGWUANYI