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The traditional ruler of Okoroenyi Autonomous Community in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, His Royal Highness Eze Ogbonna Iromantu, Enyi I of Okoroenyi, has urged politicians to desist from taking credit for projects they did not attract, stressing the importance of honesty and proper record keeping in public service.
Eze Iromantu made the remark on Wednesday while reacting to claims linking the reconstruction of the Okoroenyi/Amawom RoadOkporoenyi to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Honourable Benjamin Kalu.
The royal father, who addressed journalists at his palace, clarified that the ongoing construction of the Okoroenyi/Amawom Road is a project of the Abia State Government under the administration of Governor Alex Otti.
He recounted that since his ascension as traditional ruler, he had made several appeals to successive state governments including those of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Theodore Orji and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu to rehabilitate the road, all to no avail. He added that letters were also written to a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha, and a former member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Honourable Nnenna Ukeje, but none achieved significant progress on the project.
According to Eze Iromantu, Honourable Benjamin Kalu had also attempted to work on the road during his tenure but was unable to advance beyond one kilometre. He noted that the contract was eventually awarded in January 2024 following the intervention of key stakeholders including Honourable Anthony Chinasa, the member representing Umuahia Central State Constituency, and Bar. Chijioke Nwankwo, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Governor.
“There was a flag off here in this community,” Eze Iromantu explained. “Two different contractors were engaged to begin work from opposite ends, one from Amawom and the other from our side, covering a total of about 14 kilometres. The project is fully under the Abia State Government, and we are pleased with the quality of work being done.”
Supporting the monarch’s statement, the councillor representing Bende Ward, Honourable Emmanuel Nwankwo, affirmed that the road project is being executed by Governor Alex Otti’s administration. He commended the Deputy Chief of Staff, Bar. Chijioke Nwankwo, for his role in ensuring the project’s realisation.
Honourable Nwankwo criticised attempts to credit the Deputy Speaker with the project, alleging that Honourable Kalu had previously stated he would not work on the road because residents did not vote for him in the 2023 general election. He expressed optimism that with the rainy season ending, the road would soon be completed, providing relief to residents of the agrarian community known for cocoa farming.
Several residents of Okoroenyi who spoke to Southeastposts on condition of anonymity also confirmed that the project is being handled by the present administration.
Meanwhile, other indigenes lamented the persistent power outage across Bende Local Government Area, stating that the solar system installed under the Deputy Speaker’s initiative was insufficient to meet the community’s energy needs. They complained that the system, which initially served about 60 shops, now provides electricity for barely three hours daily and shuts down completely whenever it rains.
A resident urged the Deputy Speaker to collaborate with other federal lawmakers and stakeholders to reconnect Bende to the national grid, noting that prolonged power scarcity has crippled local businesses and worsened poverty levels.
A local councillor who uses the solar system expressed concern over the rising cost of meters, saying the price had increased from N40,000 to nearly N100,000. He added that even with subscriptions, the supply remains erratic.
Despite the challenges, the residents commended Governor Alex Otti for his commitment to restoring steady power supply to Bende and other areas, expressing hope that the promise would soon materialise.
Another resident, Mr Emeka Kalu, criticised the conversion of the newly built Immigration Office in Bende, initially meant to ease access to passport services, into an office of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. He urged Honourable Kalu to focus on people oriented projects that directly impact his constituents rather than initiating projects that fail to serve their intended purpose.
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