PEACE AND FENCE-MENDING INITIATIVE TO RURAL COMMUNITIES; GOVERNOR IKPEAZU POSITIONS FOR GRASSROOT COLLABORATION IN GOOD GOVERNANCE.

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The Abia State Government, through the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Rural Reorientation and Sensitization, Chief Chibuike Onyendilefu has taken the idea of “Town Hall” meetings to an unprecedented level of direct consultation and collaboration with rural communities under the auspices of the peace and fence-mending initiative of His Excellency, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
The Bible says: “Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9). True to type, Governor Ikpeazu has continued to pursue common solidarity and goodwill among the good people of Abia State since his assumption of office. Beyond extending the olive branch across political boundaries after the general elections and the recently concluded council elections, Governor Ikpeazu spares no pain in seeking to exemplify servant-leadership that engenders peaceful coexistence, rural participation, grassroot development and community-based reorientation, sensitization and consultation regarding the policies of government irrespective of political, religious or ethnic persuasions.
One of such programmes is the rural reorientation, enlightenment and consultative campaign spearheaded by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Rural Reorientation and Sensitization, Chief Chibuike Onyendilefu with a view to affirming the power of the people for democratic governance through direct interaction and needs assessment. Such a non-partisan, convivial atmosphere is expected to provide a platform for post-election conflict resolution among hitherto rival groups and to dispel the fallacies of disgruntled elements of the opposition whose mainstay is to whip up the sentiments of the people against the government by incessant propaganda.
The programme which commenced soon after the local government elections is expected to be hosted by the various geographical spreads of rural communities in every Local Government Area of Abia State. The most recent campaign held on Thursday, 23rd February, 2017 at Umuahia North L. G. A. Highlights of the event include a prayer of consecration by Reverend Joshua Apugo, a thought-provoking speech by Chief Onyendilefu in which he opined that there were really to fault lines of ethnicity, religious, region or tribalism in Abia State, hence the need for the urgent resolution of whatever might be the vestiges of the acrimony, animosity or grievances following the period of intense political campaigns, and enthusiastic responses from community leaders who pleaded that such an opportunity for the masses to bare their minds with the government should be made to be frequent. The climax of the exercise was the presentation of pictorial slides showing the developmental projects already completed or still ongoing by the State government.
Some of the specific issues raised by the people of Umuahia North include the prompt payment of salaries, deplorable state of the Ofeme ring road, the rehabilitation of the Ubani Ibeku market, the maintenance of roads of the housing estates and the excavation site at Umuhu Ward, the revamping of the Golden Guinea Breweries, and the need for the establishment of state-of -the-art sports facilities to foster the harnessing of the talents of the youth as well as the provision of subsidies or credit facilities to artisans. Other contributors expressed their gratitude to the governor for the road reconstructions all around Aba, highlighting its potential strategic effect in boosting the revenue profile of the State.
Chief Chibuike Onyendilefu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Rural Reorientation and Sensitization, assured the people of being adopted as thought-leaders and peace agents for the government in their communities as well as in the social media platforms that would soon be provided for that purpose. While acknowledging that there are still areas where the government is yet to satisfy the aspirations of the people, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor assured that the development strategy of the Governor Ikpeazu is systematic and sector-based, hence the need for understanding and patience from the people considering the well-reported financial constraints of the State vis-à-vis the enormous ongoing development projects scattered around the State, not just in Aba. Mr. John Okiyi Kalu, Special Adviser to the Governor on ICT, who also responded on behalf of the government, reiterated the commitment of Governor Ikpeazu to the principles of equity and justice in the distribution of developmental projects to the different Local Government Areas of the State for the common good of the economy of the State.
Also in attendance at the event were other government functionaries including Mr. Enyinnaya Agwu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environmental Beautification, the Representative of the Honourable Chairman of Umuahia North L. G. A., the Representative of the Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North L. G. A., supervisory councillors and members of the legislative arm of the Umuahia North L. G. A., members of the clergy, women leaders, and representatives of various political parties and representatives of the council Chairman and the deputy.