By Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
• Community leaders
Since its existence, Azuituma community in Oshiegbe, Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has been surviving through self help by some members of the community.
It is an aggrarian area that bears the name of a river that separates the community from its neighbouring communities.
The community has not been remembered by any government in power in terms of social amenities since it came into being. The community has bad road network and bad soil texture which makes human and vehicular movements very difficult.
The road was recently graded by a business mogul, Chief Henry Chinwendu Omaka, who hails from the community but vehicles and human beings cannot ply or walk on the road easily owing to the bad soil texture.
It was so difficult for the people of the area to access other communities, including Abakaliki, the state capital, until 30 years ago when they constructed the Azuituma bridge with concrete, which is still standing till today.
The bridge was locally constructed with woods and the people were drowning in the river, forcing them to levy themselves and built the bridge with concrete to save lives.
The people also built a secondary school in the community to ensure their children acquired education and possibly develop the area when they make it in life and their efforts has been paying off with their children excelling in life and thinking home.
They have no electricity and some other amenities that enhance standard of living. One of their sons has already started the process of connecting the community to the national grid by mounting concrete poles from the major road that connects the community to every part of the community.
Arrangements have already been concluded to install electricity transformer in the community by the man to realize his dream of electrifying the community.
Omaka also built a Catholic Church for the community and house for the priest of the church. There was no church in area until Omaka built Our Lady Catholic Church for the community. The people were attending churches in other neighbouring communities. The neighboring communities are very far from the community.
Azuituma people found it very difficult to attend churches in their neighbouring communities during the wet season because each time it rained heavily, Azuituma river will overflow its bank. This was why the church was built for them by Omaka to strengthen their faith in God.
The priest’s house was handed over to the priest. The Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki, Rev. Peter Nworie Chukwu, and people from all walks of life attended the event.
One of the leaders of the community, Prof. Humphrey Nwobashi, said the community was blessed with hardworking sons and daughters, who remember their home by contributing to its development.
He commended Omaka for building the church, the priest’s house and other amenities that have changed the status of the area.
“He is a rare breed. He is a philanthropist, he is second to none. You can see electricity poles right from the main road to this community. You can see the church he built. He has touched lives in many ways.
“This is a place we have very hardworking sons and daughters and they have to be harvested. I believe that all we need is development.
“Government has no money, those who go to government for development have nothing to achieve. If you encourage individuals, if you mobilize their minds to see the reasons they should invest, normally, they do better.
“If you go to Anambra State, individuals construct roads, individuals build schools and invest on human beings. So, this is what we are trying to encourage here and lucky enough, our sons and daughters are all living outside this place and outside Ebonyi State.
“The bridge you crossed before getting to this community was built 30 years ago and it was constructed by this community. Most of the things here were done by us, even our secondary school was constructed by the community. This is what some of us preach. Yes, government can assist but government can’t do everything,” he said.
Another stakeholder from the community, Chief James Azugo, said those who are well to do in the community have been doing a lot to change the condition of the area.
“Honestly, we have been trying to help the community. I am a contractor and I am the person that graded the road. So, we will continue to support the community,” he said.
Some government officials including the state Commissioner for Capital City Development, Chief Sunday Inyima, and Commission for Commerce, Industry and Business Development, Chief Oguzor Offia Nwali, who attended the event, said urbanization has started in the rural area through the provision of the amenities by Omaka and other successful indigenes of the community.
“It is a wonderful thing to have brought these wonderful amenities in this very remote community. That is to say, urbanization has started and it started with Christ because when you see these type of buildings, it means that individuals around here can build them comfortably for themselves and that is what we encourage,” Inyima stated
Omaka said he was motivated by his spirit to do all he did for the community and that he will do more for the people to alleviate their sufferings
“It is the spirit of God that directs me on what to do and I have been obeying the spirit. I have been receiving multiple blessings from him.
“When I started building the church, I started receiving many blessings. This made me to build a duplex for the priest and I am very happy for what God is doing through me,” he stated.