The
unfolding drama of who becomes the next Igwe of Ibenda Autonomous Community has
taken a directional approach. This has followed, as a result of the valedictory
address delivered by Mr. Remigius Ogbuishi, the Former President General of the
Town, and the subsequent stepping down as the President General to enable him
contest for the position of the Town’s Traditional Ruler, the EKPO II of
Ibenda. Insert is his valedictory speech.
“IBENDA
TOWN UNION: JOURNEY SO FAR 04-06-2016
Valedictory
Speech By REMI OGBUISHI While
Stepping Aside As President General Ibenda Town Union
The present Executives
were elected on 31-12-14 and was sworn in on 21-02-15, our goals among others
included;
(i)
Sustaining the growth of CSS Ibenda.
(ii)
Device and exploit ways of generating
revenue for the community.
(iii)
Fostering unity for the rapid
development.
(iv)
Promoting Community Health.
(v)
Initiating a market (Orie Ibenda) for
the Community
(vi)
Ensuring security of life and properties
(vii)
Building and equipping a civic centre
(viii)
Inauguration of all Ibenda Peace Summit
ACHIEVEMENTS
SO FAR
With little disguise of
the modesty of our achievements, we were able to accomplish the following;
(1)
MOBILIZATION
AND INTEGRATION:
(i)
Our community was fully mobilized. They
realized the importance of town union and participated actively.
(ii)
The Oha, Town Union, Igwe and Cabinet
worked harmoniously.
(iii)
Zinc palaver between the Oha and the Parish
was amicably resolved.
(iv)
We participated in the burial activity
of the deceased IGWE and ensured constitutional regency.
(2)
SECURITY:
(i)
A high ranking security advisory
committee came on board
(ii)
Last Saturday of every month was set
aside for security meeting to review progress.
(iii)
Monthly security salary Levy of N100 was introduced
(iv)
Robbery cases including that of
rape were properly addressed.
(3)
EDUCATION:
(i)
Inauguration of school based Management
Committee chaired by Mr. Tai Omenma.
(ii)
Inauguration of Education Committee
chaired by Festus Ezeme
(iii)
Inauguration of stake holders in Education
in Ibenda comprising all serving Principals, retired Principal, vice Principals
whose role is to act as watch dog to both the Primary and Secondary school in
Ibenda.
(iv)
Boosting the staff strength of the
secondary school
(v)
Equipping the school library with books
(vi)
Posting and taking care of Coppers
(vii) Ensuring
that a hard working person is posting as Principal.
(4)
INFRASTRUCTURE:
(i)
Rehabilitation of dilapidated church
ceiling.
(ii)
Contacts have been made for our road to
be included among the ring roads of Enugu Senatorial Zone.
(iii)
On-going efforts to provide working tools
e.g. BP apparatus, Sugar and Malaria testing kits to the Health center.
(iv)
Maternity that is being sponsored by Mr. ROMA EGBA through the assistance of
Africa Development Banks will soon come on board.
(5)
REVENUE
GENERATION:
(i)
Instituting security levy of N100.00
(ii)
Development levy of N1000.00 also came on board
(iii)
Donations quadrupled by concerned
indigenes of Ibenda.
(iv)
ITU branches donated money for our
programmes.
(6)
PROBLEMS:
(i)
Mutual suspicion and lack of trust
especially among the elites who were insensitive on communal life pattern.
(ii)
Fear of domination and lack of
understanding of the constitutional roles assigned to Oha Ibenda, Town Union
and Igwe/ Cabinet caused friction.
(iii)
Town Union being wrongly perceived as “Ndi
Enugu” should be jettisoned as it breeds divisiveness
(iv)
There is no strong financial base like
membership dues
(v)
Primary Education is still in shamble.
(vi)
No Computer Software for Secondary School
(vii) Audit
of NEPA committee which we inherited is still
lingering.
(viii) Inability
of the Union to sponsor our sons and daughter for political appointments
(ix)
Strengthening the power output by
bringing another Transformer through the NEPA committee.
(x)
Midwiving the commencement of a market -Orie
Ibenda
(xi)
Nurturing a Youth Wing of ITU and
reviving Ichie Club as a partner agency in the development of the Community
(xii) Carrying
out an accurate enumeration survey of all taxable adults in Ibenda
(xiii) Inaugurating
All Ibenda Peace Summit to revisit “Post Pastor era”
CONCLUSION: (you
may wish to draw your conclusion/ Score card)
We
had your mandate to serve for 4 years out of which I have been on the driving
seat for only 17 months. I enjoyed my working relationship with my executives
and all members of Ibenda Town Union both at home and abroard. I am very
grateful to each and every one of you, am always proud to come from Ibenda
land. I will never hesitate to render my service anytime and anywhere I am
called upon do so.
For
the meantime, I wish to step aside as the President General of the Ibenda Town
Union in order to answer the clarion call of both my family, my Umunna and wide
range of friends and associates who want me to contest for the vacant stool of
IGWE of Ibenda. If it is the wish of God, so it be in Jesus Mighty Name I pray-
AMEN.
Long
Live Ibenda Ukwa
Long
Live Udenu L. G. A.
Long
live Enugu State.”
After the
speech, a notion was moved and seconded for adoption of the speech and his step
down. He stepped aside while Mr Titus Nnamani who is the Vice President now
takes over in accordance with the constitution.
Remarkably,
Electoral committee was constituted and inaugurated smoothly with all the seven
Umunna that make up the town represented.
The Ibenda
of today has a great difference from Ibenda of yesterday. With the number of
people and the dignitaries that attended the General assembly meeting, there is
every indication that the new autonomous community is graduating to older one.
Think of those people you know, they were all there.
The issue of
Primary school in Ibenda was discussed and resolution was reached to warn
erring indigenous teachers to desist from truancy and other unprofessional
behaviors or face automatic transfers to other parts of the state. The
community resolved to inform the Primary Schools regulating body ENSUBEB should
the indigenous teachers fail to turn into a new leaf. Health centre and
Secondary schools were also on the page.
