By Juliana Nwachukwu
The Chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Onitsha South, Mrs Ngozi Alaebo and the Woman Leader Fegge ward 5, Mrs Nnedimma Ndukamma on 12th August commended the Mayor of the area, Chief Emeka Orji for his outstanding leadership skills in piloting the affairs of the local government area.
Giving the commendation in her office at the secretariat immediately after hosting of the workers by the Mayor, Mrs Alaebo stated that there has been a drastic change since Hon.Orji assumed office, noting that his style of leadership is a top notch.
According to her, “We thanked the Mayor for granting our request one after the other, building of toilets, landscaping of secretariat compound and the installation of transformer for electricity.
“What we are expecting now are the claims which he has promised us today. So we are happy and solidly behind the Mayor, the governor and APGA. We are all members of Solution Vanguard Support Group and the Mayor has donated T.shirt and caps to us. I have also taken 150 persons to Awka under Solution Vanguard and we all have voters card.
“The Mayor is doing very well, he is worker’s friendly Mayor and we workers work in solidarity with him due to his leadership skills, transparency, empathy, a listening ear, a motivator and more to count, we love him.
“Moreso, our governor has been doing wonderfully well in infrastructural developments, especially the road he constructed in my community, Umuomaku, Orumba South, it is in this present administration that we witnessed tared road since I was born, so I assured him of his 2nd tenure, no controversy, it is a sure bet” Alaebo said.
In an interview, Mrs Ndukamma who spoke on behalf of the 17 wards woman leaders present, corroborated with the view of the NULGE Chairman and said “We are happy today because the Mayor has put smiles on our faces, he gave us wrappers each, which other woman leaders from other local governments have got theirs long ago and also entertained us very well.
“Today, the difference is clear and we are now fully prepared for the November guber election, this treatment has never been given to us since we assumed office as the wards woman leaders, but the Mayor has recognized us today which showed us that he was not aware of our predicament all this while.
“Before now, we are not recognized in Onitsha South, our impact was not felt, we are sidelined, working like elephants and eat like ants, only the wards chairmen are being recognised, we would be sent on errands and after everything, praises will be showered to the ward chairmen while we are left behind, thank God our complaints have yielded fruits,”Ndukamma posited.
She mentioned that the woman leaders participated fully in this ongoing APGA registration forms and they motivated a lot of people and even demanded for the extension of the registration because more people wanted to be registered.
Earlier in his speech, the Mayor thanked the workers for the warmth welcome given to him immediately he came back from his trip, noted that he was hosting the workers because he and the workers have not seated together for long. He also added that these were the main reasons for hosting them.
The Mayor further informed the workers that their demand on increase of their claims would be done if they work harder, reiterated that he cannot pay them from the money sent from Awka but from the revenue account.
According to him, “I will increase your claims to N1M instead of the #500 you have been paid, immediately our revenue account increases, you don’t work hard and I can only pay from the revenue account. So improve and work harder” Orji posited.
- Nwachukwu is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State *
