As Nigeria marks another Independence anniversary, the The President of Ohuhu Welfare Union Youth Wing Chief Uchenna Iheanacho has commended His Excellency, Governor Alex Chioma Otti, for the monumental developmental and infrastructural renaissance currently unfolding across Abia State. He described the Governor’s administration as a beacon of hope, one that is gradually restoring the dignity of governance and laying the foundation for sustainable progress.
While acknowledging these laudable achievements, the youth president appealed to the Governor to extend this wave of transformation to Ohuhu land as a way of immortalizing the enduring legacies of the late Premier of Eastern Nigeria, Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara.
He recalled that Dr. Okpara epitomized selfless leadership, foregoing the opportunity to singularly transform Ohuhu in order to uplift the entire Eastern Region. Today, his name is celebrated across the nation, yet his ancestral land remains in dire need of visible development. The only road that bears his name, Okpara Road, has deteriorated into a death trap, while the abandoned Specialist Hospital at Umuegwu Okpuala, if revived, could provide healthcare to thousands and create jobs for more than 200 skilled and unskilled youths.
The youth president further emphasized the urgency of reconstructing the Ohuhu Ring Road, which would greatly enhance commerce and connectivity. Using a poignant analogy, he remarked: “You cannot claim that the market is over until your own mother has returned.” In other words, Ohuhu indigenes cannot fully join in celebrating the State’s progress until they feel its impact at home.
He also called attention to the neglect of the Ulonna Farm Settlements—both North and South—once a flagship agricultural initiative pioneered under Dr. Okpara’s visionary leadership. With proper reforestation, modern road access, and reactivation, the settlements have the capacity to feed Abia and beyond.
Concluding, the youth leader declared that the spirit of Dr. M. I. Okpara “cannot be at rest” until his homeland reflects the dividends of democracy and governance. He therefore implored Governor Otti to immortalize the memory of the revered Premier by ensuring Ohuhu land becomes a direct beneficiary of the infrastructural rebirth sweeping across Abia State.
