Governor David Umahi:

Ebonyi Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Sen. Emmanuel Onwe, has empowered 48 indigents in Ndiegu-Echara community of the state with N2 million.

Onwe, while doling out the money to the people on Thursday, said 20 of the beneficiaries would get N50, 000 each while 28 children from the ward named after him by their parents would receive N20, 000 each.

He said the balance of the money would be used to buy clothes to 300 indigent women while another set of 300 women would go home with assorted food items, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

The commissioner said that he had also ordered that a total of 60km of deplorable roads across the community should be resurfaced to ease access to farmlands and evacuation of farm produce.

“The state government under the leadership of Gov. David Umahi should be commended for constructing several roads for Ikwo people and we plead with him to do more.

“The governor has constructed the 23.6km Nkwagu-Ndufu-Achara road and presently constructing the Onuigboji-Ndufu Achara to Nwanoyo Stadium road.

“Work has also commenced at the 45km Obubra-Oferekpe road. We appeal to the governor to do more,” he said.

Onwe expressed the joy of hosting children from the ward named after him by their parents, describing it as the “greatest honour” in the universe.

“I know that if I am a character viewed with suspicion, unkindness and imposition of will on people among others, their parents would not have willingly named the ward after me.

“There is something they saw in me that motivated them to take such an action and I hope to make the gesture an annual event,” he said.

Mr Sunday Nwachukwu, the Councilor representing Ndiegu-Echara Ward, described the commissioner as a replica of the state governor in terms of empowerment among other attributes.

“We pledge our unalloyed support to his activities and to the leadership of Gov. Umahi with an assurance that our votes would count during the elections,” he said.

Mrs Jacinta Inyere, one of the beneficiaries, thanked the commissioner for the gesture, noting that the sustenance of the event over the years was highly commendable.

“I urge other well-meaning individuals to emulate him to re-ignite the bond between leaders and the people at all times,” she said.