Abia Community Gets Motorised Borehole From Agric Minister
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Abia State office, has handed over a motorised borehole with overhead plastic tank to Umuomainta community, Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A. of Abia State.
This move, according to the Federal Ministry, is to alleviate the problems and difficulties associated with hand pumps said to be energy-sapping.
Speaking during the event at Umuomainta community centre play field, the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh said apart from the borehole, the Federal Government had constructed a poultry processing mill in the area which according to him motivated the Abia State government to site poultry cluster in the area which would in turn feed the mill.
The Agric minister, who was represented by Ebere Simeon Oziri, FMARD state director, said in the past the Federal Government was constructing hand pumps for communities but when it could not contend with the complaints associated with the hand pumps, it introduced motorised boreholes.
He appealed to the community to embrace the spirit of maintenance culture and ensure that the borehole would not be abandoned or vandalised.
The minister also appealed to the leadership of the community not to exploit the beneficiaries, pointing out that the Federal Government constructed the borehole to be free of charge, except in a situation where the generator would need to be refueled when little amount of money should be introduced but not to the detriment of the beneficiaries.
Responding, the Traditional Ruler of Umuomainta-Nbawsi, Eze Christopher Ihemegbulam Ebere, expressed happiness that his community had benefited from the benevolence of the Federal Government.
He said: “We are happy to note that by the remembrance of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of our community, it is a clear indication that we are expecting a better dividend in future.
“May we request you to please mention us to other Federal Ministries, as Umuomainta-Nbawsi as at today has no Federal or State Government Secondary School. Water is highly essential to life, but we expect better amenities from other Federal Ministries”.
The monarch on behalf of his community promised to make good use of the borehole for the benefit of the Umuomainta community.
Speaking in the same vein, the Traditional Prime Minister of the community, Oke Nze Obialor Wachuku and the Chairperson Umuezenta Village in Umuomainta, Joy N.C. Nwogbe, disclosed that the first borehole was sited in the community in 1963 and served from then to 1993 before it broke down.
They praised President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for the project which they promised to maintain/sustain and appealed to FMARD to link the community to other Federal Ministries so that more dividends of democracy would be experienced in the community.
In his speech, the Chairman Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A. Hon. Ginger Onwusibe who was represented by the Community Development Officer (CDO), Helen Ofiagu said he was happy to have the project in his local government and expressed optimism that more projects from the Federal Government will come to Isiala Ngwa North.
Credit: Nigeria Today
