By Ovakpo Jakpor
Five communities of Onicha-Ukwuani of Ndokwa axis of Delta State have rolled out their drums to appreciate the developmental efforts of one of their own, Chief Emeke Ochonogor who has taken it upon himself to restore electricity to the communities after twenty years of power outage in the areas.
The event which held at Ugili-Amai Primary School was a carnival like with thousands of people from Onicha-Ukwuani clan comprising Ibabu, Amorji, Eweshi, Ugili-Amai and Ike-Onicha villages as well as neighbouring communities of Ogume, Utagba Uno and Iselegu adorned in their traditional outfits, dancing in appreciation of a novel efforts by a single individual, Chief Emeke Ochonogor to intervene in the prolonged power outage that had impacted adversely on the communities.
The locals said they had been in darkness for about two decades despite the fact that some top government functionaries and politicians including the incumbent Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, are from the Onicha-Ukwuani clan.
They said their joy knew no bound when Emeke Ochonogor, an expert in marine and logistics who is based in Lagos, visited the communities and decided to spearhead the restoration of electricity to the effected communities, a project estimated to cost over two hundred and fifty million naira.
The Onotu-Uku of Onicha-Ukwuani, Chief George Ogwu at the ceremony, said the communities decided to honour Emeke Ochonogor with a chieftaincy title of Omemma One of Onicha-Ukwuani, meaning the good one for coming to alleviate their twenty years of suffering as a result of abandoned power outage.
“We have never seen such a developmental gesture like this one that a single individual is embarking on the restoration of electricity to five communities without the financial support of state and local governments, as well as communities. We decided to come together to honour him with the chieftaincy title of Omemma One of Onicha-Ukwuani”, Chief Ogwu stated.
The traditional ruler highlighted other challenges confronting Onicha-Ukwuani clan to include poor health facilities, inadequate water supply and deplorable roads.
President General of the Onicha-Ukwuani youths, Comrade Ambrose Enuma noted that it was a thing of joy that a young man , Emeke Ochonogor came to address their Infrastructural challenge.
He described the humanitarian gesture of Chief Emeke Ochonogor as inspiring, laudable and worthy of emulation by all and sundry.
In a remark, Chief Emeke Ochonogor described the ceremony as a great day in his life , to be honoured by his people, for intervening in the aged long electricity challenge in the area.
Chief Ochonogor called for collaborative efforts by prominent sons and daughters especially top government functionaries in Onicha-Ukwuani clan in tackling the socio-economic challenges confronting the people, and bringing development to the communities.
