The paramount ruler of Idu-Ogba Community, Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area, Eze Uche Umejuru says what has now become a convention of measuring the successes of local government Chairmen after one hundred days in office is unreasonable and should be discarded.
He described such assessment as not only hasty and premature but clearly unrealistic, asserting that governance at the grassroots was very tasking for the Chairmen to do something meaningful in just one hundred days.
Eze Umejuru, the Okwu-Onu-Ka-oha of Idu Ogba, who stated these during a chat with National Network in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, called for patience rather thanhaving the Chairmen stampeded into making the same mistakes that the first and second-tiers of government had often made.
“We only count the number of days they sit there and leave out the stress that goes with it. The Chairmen should be allowed to settle down, make consultations and projections before putting things on ground”, he said.
The traditional ruler said his opinion should not be misconstrued for excuses for non-performance, affirmed that what must be done, must be seen to have been done very well, for which the people would be happier for it.
“When projects are hastily executed just to score cheap political points and please the people, it often has the boomerang effect as the projects would not stand the test of time. It is not enough to raise a structure and coat them with paintings, and we think we’ve done well, we’ve delivered the dividends of democracy and all what. No, let’s do something reasonable and meaningful, even if it takes more than a hundred days to do that”, he admonished.
Speaking about the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere that had heralded his community since his enthronement in 2018, the youthful king said: “By the special grace of God, Idu Ogba has remained a very peaceful community and would never be otherwise. There’s no doubt we still have one or two persons that are repentant-militants because Idu used to be their camp.
“Remember that Idu is a boundary community with Bayelsa State, and it used to serve as escape route for militants. But, thankfully, today, the very few who indulged in that despicable trade have genuinely repented and two of them have been ordained as pastors. But I can assure you that there is complete peace, and social and economic life is booming”.
The Okwu-Onu-Ka-Oha said he became one of the biggest beneficiaries of the peaceful environment with the establishment of the Idu-Ogba Industrial Development Company, adding that one of its subsidiaries, Idu-Ogba Paint Industries has over 50 youths in its employ, both in its head office at Idu community, and a depot in Port Harcourt.
Emphasizing that the presence of his company as well as some multi-national oil companies have breathed life into the community, and also boosted micro-economic activities in the area, the king called on investors to take advantage of the development and make their presence felt.
