By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was a moment of joy and uncommon jubilation as the market women at the Nkwọ Oraifite and residents of Oraifite community in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State trooped out in their numbers with gifts of yam tubers and live cocks, as Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo flagged off the construction of two major roads in the area.
The flag-off event, which held over the week, saw the elated women singing and dancing, their faces beaming with excitement as they presented the symbolic gifts to the governor in appreciation of his commitment to infrastructural development.
The roads flagged off for construction include the 10.8km Nkwo Oraifite to Nkwo Nnewi Road and the 5.8km Oraifite Civic Center-Afiauzo-Akwukwu-Owerri-Onitsha Road. Both roads which have long been in a deplorable state, will now undergo a transformation that promises to boost commerce, ease transportation, and enhance the overall economic activities of the region.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Governor Soludo expressed his administration’s commitment and dedication to ensuring that every part of Anambra State benefits from his administration’s aggressive road infrastructure agenda. He noted that the newly approved roads come with extensive erosion control works, with some areas requiring embankments as deep as 22 meters to stabilize the terrain and prevent further environmental degradation.
He assured the people that the project would be completed within or before 12 months time, emphasizing that his administration is not just awarding contracts but is committed to ensuring that every road project is diligently executed to the highest standard. According to him, connecting communities through durable road networks remains a top priority in his drive to create a livable and prosperous homeland for Ndi Anambra.
The governor’s visit to Oraifite, netizens said, was not just a political engagement but a very significant and interventional one, as residents, both young and old, including school children, trooped out to welcome him with cheers and cultural displays. The women’s gesture of presenting live cocks and tubers of yam was deeply symbolic, reflecting their trust in Soludo’s leadership and their appreciation for what they described as “a long-awaited intervention.”
The Governor, while addressing the community members at a later gathering same day, also highlighted some of the key achievements of his administration in different sectors — education, security, power and water, infrastructure, youth development, environment, among others, under three years —all without borrowing a dime from anywhere.
While recalling the great transformational works the Solution Government did in Okpoko, Governor Soludo also reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that every local government area in Anambra receives a fair share of infrastructural development, adding that he remains focused on his mission to build a modern and economically viable state.
In their separate remarks, residents of Oraifite of the community also took turns to commend the governor for remembering them and initiating projects that would not only transform their roads but also impact their economic activities positively. They described the roads as critical to the movement of goods and services, especially given the commercial and industrial significance of the area, which connects major trade routes.
