By Uduma Kalu
As they say, after the reggae comes the blues.
The euphoria of the election is over. Now is time to work, and the home folks are reeling out their expectations.
That Saturday, November 9, 2024, the Hazel Hall resounded with joy. The bars and ukazi joints buzzed with hallelujahs and songs of joy immediately the vote count exceeded 35 of Mr . Mba Kalu Agbara's, the rival of Mr Udo Onwuka for the Isiugwu Ohafia Development Association IOCDA's post for the president general.
Finally, the electoral committee chairman, Mr Kalu Nkele, pronounced Onwuka winner of the election, beating Agbara with over 130 of his 166 votes.
Onwuka in his response, thanked his supporters and all, saying it was everyone's victory.
He described himself as an emotional person. He said he was an emotional person because he hated failure. Based on this, he puts in a lot of effort to succeed. His team would work with everyone, including the Ofia Obiwe past executives and with Mr. Kalu Oleh, his rival that stepped down from the election for personal reasons bothering on peace.
" I am emotional person. I am an emotional person because I hate failures. I don't like failures.
"This victory is for all of you. We will continue from where they stopped. We will do even more. We will be coming back to you... Ofia Obiwe and Oleh. We won't disappoint", Onwuka pledged, seeking everyone's contribution to the progress of his executive.
Observers were quick to agree with Onwuka that he is an emotional person, advising that he should watch that trait of his to avoid a combative executive and tenure.
The day after, I took a survey round the town. And opinions were positive that Onwuka would perform exceedingly with some saying he was poised to win based on his exposure, professional skills and education.
The home folks, already gearing up for the 2024 Igba Uche Isiugwu Ohafia of the Udomba age grade, listed some areas of importance the new executive needed to pay attention to by networking with philanthropists, banks, donors and donor agencies, governments and non governmental organizations, the new Greater Ohafia Development Authority (GOPA) , the elders, age grades, etc.
1. The Isiogwe bridge. The bailey bridge crossing the Uduma river linking both ends of the town has bent. It is said that heavy duty machines and earth movers that crossed the light bridge caused the damage. The rural folks, while calling for a thorough work on the bridge by a seasoned engineering company, asked the IOCDA to ensure that a good job is done by engaging the company with eagle eye supervision and specifications.
2. The Ogwe Nda Mbila Uma. This is a farm bridge project embarked upon by the town's women, costing millions of naira. Though men are said to have decided to assist the women, the bridge is abandoned waiting for work to continue.
The women believe it will help them greatly in their farm work with the use of motor machines instead of trekking which they said was affecting their health and productivity.
3. Solar streetlights.. . One of the leaders of the town hinted that the new executive should work with a particular philanthropist who is said to have promised to help the town with solar streetlights all over the town. Wherever the executive can complement with the philanthropist will ensure that the whole town and its compounds are well lit.
4. Agricultural finance. This is another area the folks told me they needed assistance. Thankfully, Onwuka is a banker, he can assist them, they said, adding that he needed to network with other donors too, including government and international agencies.
5. Poor yields. The home people said they would want the new executive to look into the reasons why their farms were yielding poorly. Here, they asked that the soil, crops etc be tested to determine why, for example, their okra was not yielding well, unlike their Ozu Abam and Even Ohafia colleagues. Was it because of the chemical, poor soil, old crops etc? they asked.
6. Automated stone free machines. The rice farmers in the town want the new executive to liaise with the state government that promised to provide the automated stone free rice mills, as well as a philanthropist in the town who, it was said, promised to assist them with the mill.
7. The home folks also asked for automated palm oil mills that would lessen the milling process. The people, not in tune with oil palm production said if the machine was introduced, they would learn from their Ndi Okorie Abam neighbours on the business. For now, outsiders are milking from the oil palm business in the town.
8. Next is for the new executive to work with GODA for the town's share of development.
9. Also, the completion of the Isiugwu Ohafia Ebem road abandoned by the senator representing their Abia north zone, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
10. They also asked the new executive to meet with the state government to begin the town's road to Ndi Okorie Abam this dry season.
11. While thanking the past executive for the peaceful election and transition, the home people were adamant that the executive should be audited even though it left about a N1m for the new executive. The people wanted to know the amount that are made from the June meeting annually as well as the IOCDA levies.
12. They also asked the executive to work with the Kalu Nkele Standing Electoral Committee to get better as it appeared the committee did some shoddy jobs in some areas such as voters' education. Many votes were rendered invalid as the voters thumb printed wrongly. Also, the need for time.
13. There was also the call for a review of the constitution as it relates to membership of the association. This was because of a complaint by a London based Isiugwu Ohafia woman who married a non Isiugwu Ohafia person. Though the lady founded the UK branch of the IOCDA, she was disqualified from voting.
My investigation showed that though the IOCDA election was essentially for men, the UK branch was a different ball game. Its members were both men and women. And both sexes were chosen as delegate voters but the lady was disqualified on marital grounds. In my chats with the new Legal Adviser of the association, Mr Mbila Uma, who said he was uncomfortable with the disqualification of the lady, and with the chairman of the constitution drafting committee, Mr Kalu Oleh, there was need to include Isiugwu Ohafia women married outside even though they may not be compulsory members then as honorary or ceremonial members with equal rights as compulsory members in terms of voting etc. If the law could be bent for both men and women to meet together in London and vote together, then the law can as well accommodate the new provision, some of the people argued.
14. All these, they told me did not defray from the Onwuka campaigned list of things to do for the town including the computer center etc.
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