The socio-economic interventions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Governorship candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial election, Ebonyi state, High Chief Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has been rated second to none, since the creation of Ebonyi state, on 1st October, 1996.
Popularly known as Anyichuks, a private citizen who is not dependent of government resources has been able to use his hard-earned income to touch the lives of Ebonyi people positively and in no small measure.
His non-political disposition towards giving hope to the hopeless, lifeline to the lifeless and succour to the downtrodden, is reflective of his natural capacity to better the lot of Ebonyi people, if he wins the 2027 Governorship election in the State.
Within the period under review, he has been able to provide socio-economic interventions for victims of flood disaster in Ebonyi South senatorial district of the state, ahead of the state and federal Government’s interventions.
Having carried out an on-the-spot accessement of the natural disaster, the PDP Governorship candidate represented by the PDP Chairman in the State, Mr. Chukwuma Igwe, dolled out a mouth-watering sum of N5m to all the affected families within the disaster-prone areas.
This gesture has been described as a round peg in a round hole, geared towards alleviating the suffering of the victims and giving them hope for a better tomorrow.
The over 134 affected families scattered across the length and breadth of Ebonyi South zone of the state, expressed joy and happiness over the contributions of the Governorship candidate, whose love for Ebonyi people remains unequalled.
It saddens the heart to report that the over 134 families lost their homes, farmlands and household belongings following the devastating flood that ravaged Akaeze and neighbouring communities in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The flood, which occurred at midnight on Wednesday, September 23, submerged homes, rice, yam and potato farms, disrupted trading activities and displaced residents across several communities.
Chukwuma Igwe, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who led a delegation to the affected communities said High Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, had released N5 million for immediate assistance to the victims.
Igwe, who represented Odii during the visit, said N2 million would be distributed to affected residents in Akaeze, while the remaining funds would be deployed to other communities affected by the disaster.
He said the party had so far documented 54 affected families in Akaeze, while assessments were ongoing in other communities to determine the full extent of the damage.
“My people, I’m not happy. I don’t have to hide it. It’s a thing of tears that this kind of thing can happen at this time,” Igwe said.
He, however, stressed that the intervention by the PDP was not a substitute for government assistance, urging the state and federal authorities, as well as emergency management agencies, to urgently respond to the plight of the victims.
“We are not in government yet. Our own is to condole with you and sympathise with you. The main intervention is supposed to come from the government,” he said.
At Amaegbu Umobo, Akaeze, the community chairman, Abia Okoro Abia, said more than 54 victims had so far been identified, with houses and rice and yam farms among the properties destroyed.
The affected communities, including Amaegbu Umobo, Umuewodo Ndiachi Umuobo Akaeze and Umuezaka Ezeukwu Akaeze, appealed to the Ebonyi and Federal governments to urgently provide relief materials, emergency assistance and technical intervention.
They also called for measures to identify and address the underlying causes of the flooding, warning that without sustained intervention, residents remained vulnerable to further destruction and displacement.
It is now on record that the timely intervention of the high Dr. Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii was what attracted Government Agencies, both state and federal, to come and provide succour to the affected flood victims in the State.
Another single most important socio-economic intervention also went to Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Abakaliki, retirees who have been suffering under the stronghold of poverty because of the non-payment of their entitlements by the management of EBSU, supposedly appointed by the present administration in the State.
The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship candidate, Ebonyi state, High Chief Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii through his kind gesture and humanistic approach towards all and sundry, decided to ameliorated the plight of the retired Ebonyi state University workers by giving a boost to their financial status.
Reports reaching the Press has it that most of the retirees of Ebonyi state University had died while others bedriddened due to their unpaid entitlements, which had lingered for many years now.
The Ebonyi state PDP Governorship candidate intervened in their situation by improving their financial status during a gathering in Abakaliki as the retired varsity workers had cried out over non-payment of their pensions and gratuities by the management of EBSU.
The retired workers said many of their colleagues have died or become bedridden as a result of hardship resulting from non-payment of their pensions and gratuity.
Moved by their situation as a humanist, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state for next year’s general election, also known as Anyichuks dolled out ₦100,000 each to 216 of the retirees accredited by their Association.
Odii represented by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Darlington Onwe, said the plight of the retirees was “highly shameful” and required urgent attention, stressing that the beneficiaries had devoted their productive years to the service of mankind and development of the Education sector in the State.
He said accreditation exercise was conducted after the retirees raised alarm over their unpaid entitlements, adding that the 216 accredited persons represented only an unofficial figure.
According to him, the actual number of affected retirees could be up to 400 or more, with some already deceased, others hospitalised, while several others were living in difficult circumstances without adequate support.
“This is not just a political movement, and it was not designed to score cheap political gains or political goodwill,” he said, urging the Ebonyi State Government and the University Management to urgently address the ugly situation.
The retirees, led by their Chairman, Emeka Ugwoke, disclosed this in Abakaliki while recounting their ordeal since retirement.
Ugwoke said the retirees had visited several media organisations to draw attention to their plight, insisting that pension and gratuity should not become uncertain after years of service.
“I cannot die in silence. That is why I am crying out,” he said, adding that many retirees were currently struggling to feed themselves and meet other household obligations”, he said.
He also disclosed that he had met Governor Francis Nwifuru over the issue, and that the Governor told him that the university was autonomous and its finances were outside the direct control of the state government.
He opined that the Governor, as Visitor to the University, should be concerned about the welfare of its retirees and appealed for urgent intervention.
He said the retirees would continue to seek assistance from government and other well-meaning individuals until their outstanding pensions and gratuities were addressed.
“We want to thank Chief Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii for this gesture. In fact, I am very hopeful and happy today. He has brought smiles to our faces. This gesture has extended our lives. We have laboured for this state and we deserve to be treated as heroes, stakeholders and elder statesmen.
“Today is one of the happiest days of my life. I am happy that someone has come to identify with us. We are old. Some of us have even died while some are bedridden. Today, we are happy for the succour that came to us. It’s not only about the money but to know that we can be appreciated for the sacrifices we have made for this state “
“With these apparent interventions coming from the stable of High Chief Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, at this critical time in our nation’s history, one can assert that we still have good personalities like the PDP Governorship candidate in the State.”
Meanwhile, Chief Emmanuel Chidi Igwe, the Spokesperson to Chief Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has emphasized that the money given to the retirees was a form of humanitarian assistance to elderly former workers who publicly cried out over their prolonged inability to access their retirement benefits.
According to him, the intervention was intended to provide immediate relief while the larger issue of their unpaid entitlements remains unresolved.
Igwe added: “Chief Odii has nothing to hide. He has already demonstrated that his intervention was about the welfare of the affected retirees. If the government believes the figures being presented are inaccurate, the simplest solution is to conduct an open and transparent verification exercise and publish the result.
“The retirees deserve better than a contest between government officials and politicians. They deserve dignity.
They deserve transparency and above all, they deserve the retirement benefits they earned through years of service.”
Going by the numerous and heartwarming interventions by the PDP Governorship candidate, Ebonyi state, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, it is now obvious that his interest is not in scoring cheap political points but addressing the welfare of Ebonyi people, in order to improve their standard of living.