MUCH ADO ABOUT AGWA/EJEMEKWURU/EGBEMA ROAD AWARD
BY AGWA FOR OMEUDO (AFO), 2027 MEDIA AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION CENTRE
ON ISSUED-BASED CAMPAIGN WE STAND!
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
Congratulations, in advance, to the Government of Imo State, ably led by Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma (CON), the Executive Governor of Imo State, for, at least, taking the necessary steps towards addressing a long-standing developmental concern.
Congratulations also to Oguta Local Government Area, whose allocation is reportedly being utilised to fund the Agwa/Ejemekwuru/Egbema Road project, and, most importantly, to the people of Agwa, Ejemekwuru and Egbema.
However, special emphasis must be placed on the people of Agwa, who have borne the brunt of sustained agitation for the construction of this road through various platforms and individuals, including Agwa Central Union (ACU), Agwa political leaders, Inside Agwa News, traditional rulers and other development-minded stakeholders.
This is a collective victory and should not be personalised or appropriated by any individual.
The recent announcement that work on the road is expected to commence unfailing next week, with substantial progress anticipated on or before December 24, 2026, is undoubtedly cheering news.
More importantly, the announcement came from one of the political leaders whom Agwa people hold in high regard and who is not given to empty political overtures. To put it plainly, Hon. Williams Ezeikpe Ejiako (Willy Bassy) is regarded as a leader who has the interests of his people at heart. For that reason, we consider his communication credible and worthy of attention, rather than another exercise in political shadow-chasing.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS ABOUT THE PROJECT?
The Imo State Government, through the funding arrangement involving Oguta Local Government Area's allocation, has indicated its commitment to addressing the road's deplorable condition after years of political promises and unfulfilled expectations.
The road is being financed with public resources, which ultimately belong to the people.
Upon completion, the road is expected to enhance economic activities, improve productivity, facilitate transportation and stimulate commercial opportunities across the benefiting communities.
The project is a government undertaking and should be recognised as such.
Its completion is also expected to improve security by reducing the exposure of road users to criminal activities associated with the road's previously deplorable condition.
The people of Agwa, Ejemekwuru and Egbema deserve decent infrastructure. They should not continue to endure conditions that undermine their dignity, economic opportunities and quality of life. Their years of agitation, following repeated government promises, deserve acknowledgement and commendation.
WHAT ARE NOT FACTS?
It is not correct to attribute the road project to any individual as though it were personally financed or executed through private resources.
The project should not be presented as one attracted by the serving Honourable Member representing Ohaji-Egbema/Oguta/Oru-West Federal Constituency, Hon. Engr. Eugene Okechukwu Dibiagwu (Ozuruigbo).
Neither should it be described as part of his constituency-tied projects specifically attracted for Agwa or, by extension, the Federal Constituency without verifiable evidence establishing such a connection.
If the construction contract has indeed been awarded to his company, Frank & Gen International Limited, that would constitute a commercial engagement through which the company stands to benefit from the contract.
It should, however, be distinguished from the political ownership or personal financing of the project.
We must distinguish this road project from other personal or constituency-related projects attributed to Hon. Eugene Okechukwu Dibiagwu and reportedly located in Agwa. Different projects should be assessed and credited on the basis of their respective funding sources, processes and contributions.
OUR POSITION
We, the supporters of Hon. Engr. Kingsley Chima Uju, (M.F.R.), conclude by drawing an analogy from the historical events that preceded the First World War.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, by Gavrilo Princip triggered the July Crisis, which, through diplomatic confrontations, military mobilisation and competing alliances, escalated into the First World War.
Similarly, the prolonged controversy surrounding the Agwa/Ejemekwuru/Egbema Road and the government's repeated failure to fulfil its promises became a significant political liability for the ruling establishment.
Now that the government has indicated its determination to undertake the project, the moral responsibility is to recognise it as a government project, funded with public resources, rather than the personal achievement of any individual.
It should serve as a political body deodorant, helping to detoxify the atmosphere created by years of unfulfilled promises. As the project moves towards implementation, however, political credit must go where it is genuinely due.
As we often maintain: "Public projects deserve public credit, and political recognition must follow verifiable contributions, not personal appropriation."
Equally, "The people who demanded development when it was politically inconvenient must not be forgotten when that development finally becomes politically convenient."
If there are people who particularly deserve commendation, they are the people of Agwa, Ejemekwuru and Egbema, especially the people of Agwa, whose sustained agitation helped keep this important infrastructure concern alive.
This is not an argument against recognising genuine political contributions. Rather, it is a call for fairness, transparency and responsible public communication. Whoever contributed to the realisation of this project deserves recognition for that contribution, but nobody should claim ownership of what belongs to the people.
Much ado about Agwa/Ejemekwuru/Egbema Road Award!
AGWA FOR OMEUDO (AFO) MEDIA AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION CENTRE
...ON ISSUED-BASED CAMPAIGN WE STAND!
