Ejeagwu speaks on his development agenda for Osina Town, dedicates mansion to God

Kelechi Ejeagwu, Mbata Etuom 1 in Igboland, is the current President General of Osina Town in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State. In this interview with SUCCESS DAMIAN in his office in Lagos Ejeagwu spoke on his plans for Osina,nine years blackout in his town, he also called on youths to come out and serve their people, even as he spoke on dedication of his mansion and other national issues. Excerpts:
 

Let’s meet you

My name is Chief Kelechi Ejeagwu, a native of Osina in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.

You are now the President General of Osina Town Union (OTU) general, how do you feel being the new PG?

I thank God, it is not by my power, I will say it is a divine connection as it pleased God. I looked at the whole thing and asked God, why me? Later I realised that I was one of the outspoken members of the town who criticized how things are done in the community, I said okay. After the voting and I emerged winner, I still asked God some questions, what and how will I carry my people along, what will I do for my people and not what my people will do for me? I don’t dwell in the name PG, because I don’t introduce myself as PG, I introduce myself as my own name. It is only what I do for my people that will bring glory to God. Yes as you asked, I am the current PG of Osina Town Union, I am happy.

It is in public domain that you have embarked on massive road rehabilitation in your town, what was the driving force behind the initiative?

Thank for that question. When I emerged as a winner, after consulting and doing my prayers, I came out with seven point agenda, the things I believed I will do for my people, so that they will benefit from it. Osina Town is more than 30 years behind the progress of every other town surrounding us, so based on that, I believe by my own sincerity as a man, if I undertook those projects others would follow suit.

Then in my seven point agenda, the one I picked out among them is the issue of road. Coming to by town Osina, there is no road, all the roads in the whole villages are condemned by erosion, some members of the town cannot visit others, they cannot even go to neighboring villages, and government are not concerned about us. We are our own government. I therefore decided that the best thing is to embark on road rehabilitations, so that there will be connecting roads, so that our people can move freely. If you look at people from Umuduru cannot go to the major market in Osina due to erosion, Umuotuasi the same, Uhualla the same, if you travel home with your car, you have to park it in somebody’s compound, then trek home, at the end you go and take your vehicle back while you have your own compound. There is no joy in that. Based on that I called my executive and contracted the job, and by the grace of God there is progress, the job is going well.

It will interest you to know that it is our people who have passion for the development of the town that said PG we are behind you, this light which you lit is worthy of emulation, it will not die, they began to pump in money so that the work would go on. To tell you how passionate our people are about it, I didn’t even call Dr Ohia, but he personally sent N200,000, a lot of them. It is true that because of existing problems, some are telling me that they had paid money before for development but nothing to show for it, but I told them that I wasn’t the person the money was given to, now that I am in charge, you can see what I am doing with it. I am not using it for my personal gains. I told them, don’t pay into my personal account, because of that I opened an account in the name of OTU solely for these projects, because it is not only road project that I am going to tackle. By the power of God after this December, January, February when we balance from the one we have done, we are going to work on the light issue, because Osina has been in total darkness for the past eight to nine years if I am not mistaking. Based on all that I want every Osina man, woman to embrace these development initiatives, and God will bless them all. 

Are you certified with the level of work being done by the contractors you gave the job? 

Yes I am, because the people that I gave the job are doing well, it is being headed by Powerlink, Celestine Ezewuru. Many people are happy and I am happy. It is not easy leaving your business to supervise the project, monitoring caterpillar people and all that. They have shown that they are good ambassadors of Osina, very illustrious sons of Osina.

What have you done to bring peace to Osina? We learnt issue of Autonomous was problem, do you see it as a problem to your administration?

Well, when I was handed over, all the documents handed to me, over 90% of them were cases, but I don’t want to dwell on them, because I am not a trouble maker. I believe in what God can do for Osina. Coming to the autonomous you made mention of, autonomous is not bad, but how we go about it most of the time is what is causing problem, to the best of my own knowledge. But as I am now, the government of Imo State doesn’t tolerate that, so there is no way we can dwell on issue of autonomous. 

The past government did a lot of fraud on autonomous issue. So I am talking as a person. When you come to my office as the PG, and talk of autonomous, I have my own modalities. What I will tell you, you have to follow due process, when it gets to my table to sign, when others have signed, and you have done what you supposed to do, I will put my own signature. You get your autonomous, but you must do the needful.

Being in Lagos how are you able to coordinate the work to ensure effectiveness

It is the work of God. Whatever sacrifice I make to put Osina together, to move Osina forward, I will do it. Coming to what you ask, it is not an easy task, always on the road, and all these things nobody pays you. You transport yourself, when you use your car you fuel it, you use flight you pay for your flight, so based on that it is not an easy thing, but someone must do it, so based on someone must do it, I have decided to carry the cross for the next three years.

Have you connected with any government at whatever level in Imo State, by way of coming to assist you in all these projects?

Yes, immediately I was sworn in as the President General, I visited Ideato North Local Government Chairman, and introduced myself. He welcomed me very well, I went to police station as well and did the same, and after a month or two months, Emeka Ihedioha, the governor of Imo State came to the local government for inspection and I was invited through the local government chairman, although I did not make it but I sent a representative, and I was represented very well. The government we are in right now, I am in connection with them.

Your relationship with Eze Osina of Osina

O very wonderful. Actually, Eze has been my Eze even before I became the PG. And I know quite well a lot of people have been giving me advice one way or the other, I should be careful with Eze, this that, but I think I have to be careful with everybody not only Eze. Eze is an individual just like every other person. Nobody is good 100%. People give advice but I believe that the advice I give to myself is the best advice in terms of how to manage people because I am no more a kid. I have managed my business for several years and I am successful on it, so for somebody to direct me on how to manage my fellow human being at my age now, I think the person is not doing me any good.

To your question I am in good terms with Eze Osina of Osina and it will continue to be even after my tenure as PG. The truth is that a PG has his own responsibility, the Eze has his own responsibility, it is only when you encroach on the other’s responsibility automatically there must be a clash. The work of the PG is mostly for the welfare and development of the town while the eze is saddled with tradition and every other thing, we cannot bring land case to me, I don’t even like case in the first place. My relationship with the Eze is strong 

You are a youth and you are leading the good people of Osina, what advice do you have for other Osina youths?

The only thing I have to say is this; in this life madness is better at a youthful age. I have seen one of the reasons why when one was elected PG at age 60 and above, before you know it, join with physical challenges, health and every other thing, he develops BP. It is better to do all these at youthful age, when your brain can carry everything, your family, your business and the entire work you have as a PG.

When you are getting older, it means you are retiring in everything. Not when you are getting older you will start being the president of your town, you are just laboring yourself. That is why I see the present government of Buhari as a failed government, because you don’t give somebody that is over aged to rule, if you want that nation to move forward. We cannot live forever, the same way we must give our youths the chance to take charge. When it is time to retire you retire and give chance and if you don’t do that, there won’t be any development.

I am advising the youth to come out, they should not entertain any fear, that they will kill you, nobody is killing you. Osina has people: Those that have money, education, intelligence, when we bring all these together, no town, no town underlined can compete with Osina. Osina should be in the same class as Nnewi in Anambra, because our community is too high compare to other surrounding communities. Our level of intelligence is never the same and can never. I encourage our youths, at home and abroad to come out. According to one brilliant man in my town, Mike Omeihe, if you are above 40-45 you may not be able to serve again. You serve your people when you are still full of life and vitality. So to the youths don’t hide your talents.

The country is going through numerous challenges, what is your advice to Nigerian political leaders?

The leadership of today frightens me, the truth must be told. Our votes don’t count any more. They deceive us a lot. All politicians are the same whether APC or PDP. Because of maybe selfish interest, maybe because of 2023, now APC has turned against some of their own members either by jailing them or by prosecuting them, they know what they are doing. All the whole people that surround Buhari, they are all criminals. We are talking of people that looted in previous years, but these people keep on looting. State government keep on borrowing money, federal government keep borrowing money; that is why I don’t want to go deep in politics because it is a very dirty game. If you really want to make heaven, Nigerian politics must be avoided.

You will soon dedicate your mansion. Can you throw more light on that?

It is a thing of joy, there is no place like home. The joy I had when I built my house in Lagos is just 10% of the joy I have now. I have more than 100% joy. If I travel to my town in Osina, I don’t feel like going back to Lagos, but because of the nature of things I have to. So I finished my house this year, I am dedicating it to God almighty this year, 30^th of December, 2019, I will dedicate it fully and pack in with my family. And I will join it with the celebration of my parents. God has given them life. So we are celebrating their 58 years of marriage, because they are wonderful people.

Sanwo-Olu calls for modesty at Christmas, pardons convicts

Success Damian:

 

L-R: Provost, Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, Very Revd. Adebola Ojofeitimi; Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Anglican Communion, The Rt. Revd. Dr. Bamisebi Olumakaiye; Lagos State Governor, Babaj5-Olu and his wife/First Lady of the state, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, during the Cathedral's Holy Communion on Christmas Day in Lagos. 

 
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on Lagosians to apply modesty as they celebrate Christmas even as he signed pardon for convicted prisoners in the state.

Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure while speaking to the press on Sunday during a Christmas Service at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Marina Lagos. 

He said “I want to charge Lagosians that in this season of Christmas, let us do things with moderation, let us understand that even while we are doing our celebration, let us do it with modesty, let us do it with a lot of decorum and let us understand that it is a period to remain peaceful to be law-abiding and continue to remain as an example for other parts of the country to reflect upon.”

Sanwo-Olu thanked God for sparing the lives of Lagosians. “We thank the almighty God for sparing all our lives, for making today a reality in our individual ways. We thank God for protecting our country and for also protecting our state, even in spite of all the challenges that we have; that in his infinite mercy he has kept us as a state, and as a people. In the same spirit of Christmas, it is a season of giving; it is a season of blessing.” 

Mr. Governor also stated that the season of Christmas is a period of reflection “It is also a season of reflection; so as a nation, as a state, I think it is also appropriate for us to continue to count our blessings, to continue to reflect on those things that have happened to us in the cause of the year and how can we improve and be better citizens, for us as a state. 

"It is also a season of giving back. So I have also signed a small relief for some convicts that we have in the various prisons, people that have been convicted, some to death sentences that we have committed them to life sentences. And some that we realise that are for minor offences, and we asked that they be given pardon. We will also use this season to reach out to a lot of the less privileged; I will also be going out, by ensuring that we all leave in a safe and very conducive environment.”

On what Lagos State is doing to support the police he said, “You know we always support the police, less than a week ago we opened the biggest Area Command in the nation, Area L. If you go there you would realize there is no area command that is of that status before and we just commissioned and handed it over to the men of Lagos Police Command.

“Not only that, we regularly support them with vehicles, with other needs that they require, so we are not living it to the police, we are supporting the entire security formation in Lagos just to be able to discharge their duty well, and we are also supporting our LASTMA officers so that they have all of the implements they require to do the work,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also charged Lagos residents to be law-abiding during the festive season “We know that we are in the festive season, we are using the gentlemen of the press to also communicate and to tell all our people for all of us to be law-abiding, to live in a peaceful and in a manner that we are not disobeying the rules and regulation of our environment.”

Year 2020: I envision an encouraging future, says Olumakaiye

Success Damian:

Bishop of Lagos (Anglican Communion) Rt. Rev. (Dr) Humphrey Olumakaiye, has disclosed that there is an encouraging future that is replete with not just hope but also fulfillment and prosperity for Nigeria.

Olumakaiye made the revelation in a press release titled ‘Pastoral Christian Message to the nation’

In his word “As we approach the New Year, 2020, I envision an encouraging future replete with not just hope but also fulfillment and prosperity. Let us go into the New Year with strong core values and convictions that are based upon the standards of God’s word.”

Olumakaiye stated that Christmas Season is a unique one that brings the consciousness of the peace that Christ brought to individuals, family and the nation. It reminds people how Christ brought them out of darkness into God’s Marvelous light.

He then decried some negative happenings in the nation Nigeria “When we look within as a nation, we see continuing raids and attacks, loss of lives and many things looking so unsettled while a lot of people are starving. In some places, people are crowded in refugee camps that lack a simple basic human need like portable drinking water. Millions of people have little hope for the future. 

“Our tribal diversity, religion and tight communal ties, the very elements that promote our rich culture were weaponised and unleashed among ourselves. The remarkable innovations in mobile telecommunications which was deployed to transform our economy became deadly channels of subterfuge and deception. Tribal sentiments were whipped up, fuelled and fanned. Yet, we thank God, peace prevailed,” Olumakaiye maintained.

He also called for prayers for the leaders when he said “Our leaders need more prayers, leadership is a critical factor to a nation’s progress but it has pre-loaded inputs.

“Competence, savvy, dexterity and intelligence are key, but so also is integrity and fairness. These are qualities sorely lacking in our time. A familiar phrase has been, ‘when the desirable is not available, the available becomes the desirable.

“We must commend the nation’s leadership on maintaining a relative stable fx regime for most of the year. Recently however, there has been some concern over inordinate spending, the national debt burden and depleting fx reserves especially in the second half of 2019,” he said.

Economists, according to Olumakaiye, are positing that depleting foreign reserves portends a further depletion of the currency, worsening economy and impending hardship. “Again we implore our leaders to avoid plunging the nation into any undue economic bondage,” he pleaded.

He called on Christians to pray for Leah Sharibu “As we celebrate Christmas, Leah Sharibu remains a grave concern for the nation, not only because of the nature of the abduction or the lengthy period since she was last seen, but for the seeming lack of sustained pressure towards her release. It is my view that if the entirety of the Christian community come together we can jointly compel Leah’s and others’ speed release,” Olumakaiye stated.