…Vows to transform the area
By Ignatius Soroibe
The executive chairman of Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, Hon Chika Ibekwe has said that a new Ngor Okpala is achievable and that she is on a mission to transform the local government area.
The Ngor Okpala Council boss stated this Monday, during an exclusive telephone interview with Nigeria Newspoint.
Hon Ibekwe said that she was ready to advance all spheres of Ngor Okpala LGA from the council headquarters Umuneke where she has almost completed a story building that will house the office of the treasurer of the council and the staff.
According her, “I have almost finished the building that will serve as office for the treasurer of the council and his staff.”
On the state of the roads in the LGA, she stated that there was fund for the repairs, noting that; “I did a lot of meaningful things on those roads considering how they were before I assumed office.”
She promised to commence work on roads by September 2025, when the rains must have subsided to complement the broader road reconstruction strategy of His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodinma.
However, she regretted the level of infrastructure decay at the council headquarters and the alarming level of road dilapidation in the entire Ngor Okpala LGA, blaming the past local government chairmen who according to her, ought to have done a little to stem the tide of dilapidation and decay of both roads and infrastructure.
“The Umuewere axis of the Ulakwo, Amaibo- Umuewere-Umuneke and Obike roads would not have been in this present level of alarming and disturbing disrepair that it is now.”
She assured that by the time she finished what she was doing in Ngor Okpala LGA, the area would turn to a new Ngor Okpala.
According to her, “By the time I finish what I am doing in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, Ngor Okpala LGA will turn to a new Ngor Okpala local government area,” Hon Ibekwe emphasised.
She lauded Governor Uzodinma for taking serious measures to improve and tighten security.
On the social responsibility of the companies mining and dredging sand in Umukabi, whose trucks are solely responsible for the deplorable level of the major roads in the council area, she hinted that she has reactivated a certain account of the council where they would pay in monies due to the council. adding, I didn’t want them to pay it to an account that I do not have details about and where I cannot receive alert and know what goes in and all the rest.
“I have reactivated a certain account of the council that they will use and I will be in position to know what is happening there.
So, now that the account is ready, they can go ahead and pay money into it.”
Reacting to a question on what her council was doing about the incessant security breaches along Ngor Okpala LGA, axis of the Owerri -Aba road from Umuowa to Umuechem and Okpala junction by bandits and the likes, the council boss commended security agencies for their regular intervention and applauded the state Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma for his timely response which has lead to the impending establishment of local government area vigilantee security outfit in the 27 local government areas of the state.
“Security issues are gradually coming to end with the help of our amiable governor His Excellency the executive governor of Imo State. Measures are in place to improve and tighten security on that road now,” the Ngor Okpala Council chairman stated.
Hon Ibekwe further stated that the vigilantee for each local government area would be made up of 20 men per community, to be selected by the youth leader, women leader, president general and the traditional ruler of each community.
She expressed shock at the seeming collaboration between the bandits and herdsmen who usually attack commuters each time the security agencies are not on duty and run into nearby communities.
“Each time the criminals strike, if villagers and security agencies go after them, they do not apprehended anyone, where do they enter, “where do they disappear to? Something is wrong somewhere,” Hon Ibekwe concluded.
Meanwhile the chairman of Ngor Okpala LGA, Mrs Ibekwe has said that she has rehabilitated over 20 roads since she assumed duties as the Ngor Okpala council boss. She stated that she did these roads one per ward through the councilor representing each ward.