From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
As other communities were making merriment in the spirit of Christmas, the people of Ihiagwa in Owerri-West Local Government Area of Imo State, which hosts the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), were also thinking of how to tackle the challenges urbanization has brought to them.
The community has had the students of FUTO and the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, coming to swell its population, which has led to environmental challenges such as waste disposal, among others.
As successive governments in the state had not come to their rescue, the people of the area during the last Christmas decided to take their destiny in their hands by raising a whopping N50 million.
According to them, the sum would be used to address some of the problems created by urbanisation, especially the evacuation of the mountains of refuse in the community.
The two autonomous communities in the area under the aegis of “Awum onye Ihiagwa”, had come together as one to protect their common interest.
The Chairman, Ihiagwa Town Management Committee, Engr Emeka Udokporo said that the the N50 million realized would be channelled to community projects; especially in the areas of community sanitation, security and flood control.
He said that the people of the area decided to follow the footsteps of their fore-bears who embarked on self-help projects of rebuilding the community after the civil war, giving scholarships to their brilliant children and building a community secondary school.
Chief Udokporo noted that the desire to take their destiny in their hands came as a result of negligence by the relevant authorities.
“We have decided to take our destinies in our hands. We have over the years suffered from negligence. I am sure you saw our road. During the rainy season it will be difficult for anybody to come to Ihiagwa,” he lamented.
He thanked the Ihiagwa people in the Diaspora, especially the USA and the United Kingdom, for answering the clarion call in repositioning Ihiagwa to take its proper position in the society.
Engr Udokporo who is the chief executive officer of Flab Engineering Services disclosed that over 70 per cent of the population of the area is made up of students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, adding that increasing population of the area without a corresponding provision of infrastructural facilities impacted negatively on the people, resulting in environmental degradation.
“If you walk around this community, you will see heaps of refuse, enough to constitute epidemics. We can no longer continue to live with the refuse”, he said.
He thanked the leadership of the Mezie Ihiagwa USA, Inc; under the leadership of Mr Uzoma Iheanacho and the Ihiagwa Progressive Association, UK under Chief George Onyeagor for their contributions in developing Ihiagwa.
Udokporo also thanked Mr Chilee Agunanna for creating a WhatsApp platform “Awum onye Ihiagwa,” which helped in bringing Ihiagwa across the globe together.
Also speaking, the Publicity Committee Chairman of the occasion, Sir Lucky Ajoku, said that with the area becoming more of a metropolitan town, a lot has to be done in the provision of infrastructure to meet up with the challenges posed by the increasing population.
“Ihiagwa as a growing urban city, given its position of hosting Federal Government institutions like FUTO, proximity to the Federal Polytechnic Nekede and even at the other end, the army barracks. It is almost turning to a cosmopolitan city and this gradual urbanization has created the influx of people coming in and embarking on different activities. So, this is putting a lot of pressure on the land and there is no corresponding arrangement for these growth, like sanitation, security and maintenance,” Ajoku said.
He said that in their effort to combat the challenges posed by the environmental degradation of the area, the Keep Ihiagwa Spic and Span, KISS, initiative was introduced.
Sir Ajoku disclosed that the creation of the platform on the WhatsApp “Awum onye Ihiagwa’’ further enhanced the unity among the people which culminated to the success of the fund raising project.
He said that the KISS initiative would be a continuous project, adding that his committee went round the community to sensitize the people a day before the event to enable them key into the project.
He described the outcome of the launching as fantastic and advised residents of the area not to dump refuse indiscriminately again.
The Chairman on the occasion, Sir Jonas Chukwuemeka Ajoku said that the event was aimed at promoting unity among the people of the area.
According to him, unity brings peace and peace in turn brings progress.
Also speaking, the Traditional Ruler of Dindi Ihiagwa, HRH (Eze) Kingsley Odu enjoined the Ihiagwa town management committee to continue in the same tempo and prayed for wisdom to enable them tackle the task ahead.
In his speech before presenting an ‘eagle’ mantra by the Mezie Ihiagwa USA Inc. to Engr Emeka Udokporo, Mr Uzoma Iheanacho observed that people should first carry their cross before others would come to help them.
He paid glowing tributes to Engr Udokporo for devoting his time and energy for the development of Ihiagwa.
Also given an award was Dr Patience Chinyere Onuoha for her enormous contributions towards the development of Ihiagwa.
Personalities that graced the occasion which featured the Ndom Obiwuruotu Ihiagwa Dance Group, were HRH (Eze) Lucky Okoro of Eziobodo, HRH (Eze) Eustace Eke of Umuokpo, the Commissioner for Local Government and Autonomous Communities, Chief Innocent Eke, among others.