The Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting yesterday, finally approved the construction of an 11km road cutting across five communities in Nkpa, Bende Federal Constituency.
This approval comes 2 years after Rep. Benjamin Kalu moved the first motion of the 9th Assembly on the first day of plenary seeking the federal government’s intervention to address the ecological challenges and environmental degradation of communities in Bende Federal Constituency.
According to an announcement by the SA to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the projects that were approved are; erosion flood control, bridge reconstruction and road improvement at Umuimenyi-Nkpa communities of Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
In a statement to correspondents, a very elated Rep. Kalu thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the FEC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, for listening to his many petitions for interventions in the suffering of his people. He thanked the Permanent Secretary, directors and staff of the Ecological Fund Office for their diligence, patriotism and willingness to do their job without inducement, fear or favour.
In his words,
“I am grateful to the President, the Federal Executive Council and the Secretary to the Government of the Federal for their listening ears, empathy and desire to intervene in the suffering of my people.
Also, I am very impressed with the efficiency demonstrated by the people at the Ecological Fund Office during my engagements with them for this federal government intervention over the last two years. I am filled with renewed hope for the public service in Nigeria.
This is particularly great news because the people of Nkpa have suffered for years because of the severity of ecological damages to their area. Farmers have been cut off from markets, school children are unable to access their schools, sick people are cut off from proper health care, and indigenes carry their dead on their head to cross flooded gullies on their way to bury them. This news fillsme with so much joy because the people of Nkpa can now breathe a sigh of relief.
I am confident that these projects will be executed expeditiously and with the highest level of diligence.”
Drum News correspondents in Bende Federal Constituency report that the indigenes and traditional rulers of the beneficiary communities in Nkpa are ecstatic and full of praises for Rep. Kalu. According to an elated indigene of Nkpa,
“Honourable Ben Kalu really hit the ground running and the result of it is evident now. I remember when he moved that motion about Nkpa’s erosion problem on his first day at Abuja. I was a bit worried that it might not yield result but clearly, Hon Ben Kalu has been following it up closely with the government. I want to commend Hon Ben for being a dogged fighter and for showing us what compassionate and genuine representation looks like. We are blessed to have him.”
