The Executive Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area, LGA, Hon Uchenna Callistus Ejim has intervened in the construction and completion of Ndiagu Umuagwa Umuokwuo bridge in Akegbe Ugwu ward 1.

The Chairman who spoke to newsmen when he visited the project site noted that he swung into action immediately after receiving an on-the-spot assessment report of the bridge by the Honourable Supervisor of Works, Hon. Raymond Nnamani. He said that "it was a red alert for me when I heard of the sufferings of the people of the area as a result of their community being cut into two halves.

"The people of the area are predominantly farmers who have fertile lands for cultivation. You can imagine how near-impossible it is for them to convey, by whatever means, their farm produce to market.

"Growing the Agricultural sector from the level we are presently to an industrial or export magnitude is a cardinal objective and a passion for our dear Governor, His Excellency, Dr Peter Mbah. This is why we will not relent in opening up rural access roads, inter and intra community link roads as much as possible", the Council Chairman said.

Ejim assured the people of the area that the Local Government Works Department will not leave the site until the road becomes passable again.

Recall that Ejim is currently carrying out an extensive renovation of Orjiagu Health Center, Agbani. This is in addition to the ongoing construction of a 3.7km asphalt road with double drainage channels at Obinagu Uwani Community, Akpugo. The drainages/culverts are over 80% completed as at filing this report. He has also constructed fourteen culverts (Councillors Constituency Project 1) in all the fourteen electoral wards making up the Local Government Area.

Reacting to the swift response of the Council Chairman to their appeal, the traditional ruler of the community, HRH Igwe Raymond Chikaodili Agwa, Eze diri oha lll of Akegbe Ugwu expressed satisfaction over the quality of work being done at the bridge by the Mayor.

Igwe Agwa who described Ejim as the Chairman of the poor masses, prayed for the success of his administration, stressing that "with you (Ejim) as Council Chairman, the poor masses will continue to reap democracy dividends.

Narrating the difficulty being faced by his people, the Honourable Councilor of the ward, Hon. Igwe Nichodemus Chidiebere stated that "the collapse of this bridge, popularly known as 'omoo bridge', subjected our people to untold sufferings.

"The worst scenarios are countless situations where ambulance bring back corpses of deceased persons for burial, and on getting to this point, our people will have to carry the casket on their heads to cross the river because there's no motorable bridge. That is the ordeal of our people till date".

Chidiebere noted that the community has been contributing money to construct the bridge but haven't been able to complete it in a long while, which necessitated his special appeal to the Council Chairman, Hon. Ejim for intervention.

"Before now, a group of artisans from Akegbe Ugwu ward 1, known as Akegbe Ugwu Workers Association had earlier constructed a bridge at this river, and it served us for many years before it collapsed some years back. Since then, our people returned to sufferings due to difficulty in crossing to neighbouring villages and having access to our farmland and or evacuation of farm produce. 

"It got to a point that some people from Umuagwa started buying lands to build their houses while painfully leaving their ancestral land and relocate to the other side of the community because there is no road for trucks to supply building materials to them.

"The entire Akegbe Ugwu General Assembly started contributing to rebuild the bridge, but so far, you can see where our collective efforts has gotten to. Honestly, it is a thing of great joy for our people to see the speed and quality of work being carried out here by the Local Government Works Department. 

While thanking Ejim for his quick intervention, Hon Nichodemus assured the Council Chairman of the safety of the equipments on site.

Other notable stakeholders of the community who received the Council Chairman at the site include the Community Chairman General, Chief Emeka Agwatu, Chairman of the extended community, Mr. Emeka Aninwatu (Oko-atu), Ndiagu-Agwa Extended Community Stakeholder, Chief Richard Agbo among others.