Sitting behind the oval table, with the Nigerian Coat of Arms atop the wall and the portrait of Governor Alex Otti just behind him, there was no mistaken the fact that the Mayor (Chairman) of Obingwa Local Government Council, Chief Eric Egwuibe (Iyi Nenu) was in charge. The flag of the Labour Party stood boldly behind like a batman watching over his boss. But, here, the flag seemed to be the sentinel of guidance and direction on where the Mayor was coming from and the values he represents and the ideas he must pursue.
My first visit to the Mayor was a homecoming for me for I am an Mgboko, the landlord of the council and my home a stone throw away. But, there was a more connecting spirit, a warm and exciting nostalgia of my childhood days. As I looked out from the window of the Mayor’s large office, I could flashback to the exact portion of land I cleared with cutlass for few pennies as we used to trek from our nearby Umuocha Community Primary to do manual jobs at the site of the ongoing construction work for the newly established council. This was around 1975 and 1976.
Egwuibe was full of life, confident, well-prepared and knew where he was headed: “We want to rebrand Obingwa politics and show our people what true governance and service look like”, he said, his face brightening up in a chuckle that conveyed victory.
True to his words, Egwuibe’s caterpillars are on the rural roads. He has embarked on massive grading of rural roads across Obingwa and palliative work on the sub-urban areas. At the council, he has renovated the chairman and deputy chairman’s blocks, refurbished the entrance area and installed a gate at the back entrance into the council to block illegal trespassers. He procured new laptops, computers, chairs and tables for the offices.
A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, and a fellow of the Chartered Business Institute of UK, Egwuibe is a core private sector driver who spent a larger part of his career with multi-national companies before delving into politics.”I found deep meaning and conviction in the change mantra of Governor Otti so I enlisted into his vision”, he declared.
Indeed, Obingwa promises to take up a better status under the Mayor. Traffic congestion and street trading around Obikabia and Opobo junctions have become a thing of the past. There is improvement on environmental sanitation. “We are also looking at skill acquisition for youths and empowerment for women”, disclosed the Mayor.
Kudos to a silent prime mover!
