From Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba
The people of old Bende in Abia and Ebonyi states, residing and doing businesses outside their home council areas, have been enjoined to think about setting-up branches of such businesses in their homes towards contributing positively to positive development of such communities.
When established, such outlets would provide needed succour to them in times of need, instead of being reckoned only abroad while their people at home suffered. President-General of Old Bende Progressives Union, Azubuko Udah, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), made the clarion call in Aba, Abia State, during end of year get together.
He said the union would always remain grateful to the founding fathers of old Bende, for their developmental strides in places like Aba, Port Harcourt and Calabar, where they took up the gauntlet to join forces with the land owners to provide needed structures and infrastructure that helped to build such cities.
He singled out the Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Minister of State for Solid Minerals Development, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah, House of Representatives members Nkiruka Onyejiocha and Benjamin Kalu, as well as Dr Gregory Ibe, who though are of a new generation, alongside the founding fathers contributed and are still contributing towards the growth and unity of old Bende.
He mentioned late Chiefs Ugorji Eke, Nnanna Kalu, E. Emole and Premier of the defunct Eastern Nigeria, Dr Michael Okpara, for toiling with other high-spirited Eastern Nigerians from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta and Edo states, for the efforts they made to see that Aba became what it was and began growing from there.
He called on the people to embrace evolving developments in societal changes and get involved in agriculture to benefit from government assistance. He charged parents of old Bende origin, to always caution their children against involvement in heinous criminal activities inimical to the people’s way of life as imbibed into them by their forebears. On the #EndSARS protests, Udah expressed regret that some disgruntled persons within Aba communities, pointed accusing fingers on old Bende youths for spearheading the violence that led to the unfortunate incident. He said such insinuations were unfounded as no sane person could say how a peaceful protest supported by well-meaning Nigerians turned awry. According to him, natives had pre-planned and hijacked it to cause mayhem on others.
