Plaudits As Ginger Rewrites Isiala Ngwa North History
Yet he opted for Local Government Chairmanship; a decision majority considered not befitting for someone regarded as a totem of Umunne Ato kinfolk. Onwa (Moon) as he is popularly referred to by admirers, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe has changed the narratives of Isiala Ngwa North Local Government.
His quick-wittedness has led to accelerated infrastructural and human capital developments making Isiala Ngwa North LGA a place to behold in Abia Central. The transformation has been fabulous. The LGA Headquarters which was burnt down during the acrimonious LGA election had been renovated and refurbished to executive standard.
Two bedroom bungalows had also been built each at Obingwa and Umuezegu for the LG staffers murdered during the LGA election. The LGA’s legislative chamber had also been renovated and upgraded to State standard with furniture to match.
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| Mini Stadium Built By Ginger Onwusibe |
There had been renovation also to contemporary standard the Amapu Ntigha Primary School and the conversion of its field to a standard mini-stadium which has hosted several national league matches.
Most encouraging also was the coordination of the Bank of Industry financial scheme for 480 youths. The soft-spoken Hon. Onwusibe however attributed these to the sincere love he has for his people and community which he said were divinely influenced by his upbringing as a devoted Christian.
He said, “Charity begins at home. The decision to begin my stewardship as a Local Government Chairman was influenced by 1Timothy 5:8 which reads: ‘But if any provides not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worst than infidel’. So my priority is to improve the lives of Isiala Ngwa North people and possibly leave them better than I met them.”
“The Bank of Industry has a financing scheme of N100, 000, N250, 000 and N1, 000,000 respectively for first, second and third stages. As we speak, I have mobilized 480 Isiala Ngwa North indigenes, they have received their account numbers from Sterling bank and anytime from now they will receive the first stage which is 100,000.
“That's my own little way of assisting them excel in life. Though the money is not mine but I have facilitated them to be recipients and we will ensure that they use the money judiciously so as to enable them access second stage and by the grace of God the third stage,” he said.
To drive the infrastructural development of the LGA in line with his objective which is to transform it to urban area, Hon. Onwusibe said that there was the need to increase the LGA’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) considerably without over taxing the people.
To achieve this he said “I had to re-channel part of my N2.5 million security vote.
I make use of N1million and the remaining N1.5millon I volunteered to the renovation and construction of some of the projects ongoing.” Other steps he took to ensure that the IGR increased significantly without subjecting his people to hardship were the introduction of some revenue windows into the law.
According to him, “We introduced N200 levy for every drum of oil purchased and that has been a good source of income. Also we collect N50 daily levy from motorcycle operators.
“The first quarter, we generated close to N4 million. By the end of the second quarter we will review what we have. From that money we have been able to procure fertilizer for our farmers. So far we have about 500 bags; soon we will start distributing it to our famers.
Our aim is to generate at least N2million every month.” On how he intends to achieve this task, Hon. Onwusibe said the first step he took on resumption was to re-engineer the LGA workers.
This he said was achieved by engaging various departments of the LGA positively. He said that according to the LGA law, every staff is a revenue driver so he converted them to drive revenue for the LGA. “When we have demand notice to serve, we make sure that all of them participated in serving the demand notice.
We have revived our Agric Department with the establishment of farm and poultry. So the staffers in that department are fully engaged in cassava production and animal husbandry.
“The ones in the Department of Works are in charge of keeping the LGA environment tidy. Before they don't come to work and the environment littered with overgrown weeds. Those things are not proper so we had to share the LGA and give it to them so if a place is dirty we know which group to hold responsible.
“For those in the Health section we made sure they report to our Health Centers and give services to the people. We have also interface with the communities where these Health Centers are located to know if they don't come to work. So my workers in the LGA are doing well,” he said.
Standing conspicuously in Amapu Ntigha a community in Isiala Ngwa North is a mini-stadium with VIP stand, dressing room and rest room for players and spectators. So standard is its pitch that several national league matches have been played there. Notable among such matches were the local derby between Enyimba FC of Aba versus Abia Warriors of Umuahia (which ended in one goal apiece) and the Oriental derby between Abia Warriors and Crime Busters of Enugu (which ended 2-1 in favour of Abia Warriors). The resourceful and enterprising Hon. Onwusibe who isn’t resting on his oars also outlined his plan for the future leaders.
“I want to put up a football academy where we will breed players and see if they can go out of the State and play football. As you can see, we sand filled the stadium, grassed it, put up perimeter fencing and space for floodlights to ensure it gets to the standard where continental matches could possibly be hosted there,” he added.
Another significant thing which had taken place in Isiala Ngwa North LGA in six months of Hon. Onwusibe’s administration was the high patronage of public primary schools. For example, Amapu Ntigha Primary School which had less than 200 pupils months ago has over 400 pupils presently.
This can be attributed to the renovation of the school’s classroom blocks as well as construction of a modern four classroom block by Hon. Onwusibe. According to him, he adopted the school when the Abia State Governor; Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu visited and encouraged his friends to adopt primary schools.
“So I had to adopt the primary school and my objective is to upgrade it to a standard modern school. I have secured school bags, shoes and uniforms for the over 400 pupils. The new block is almost ready. We will equip it with electricity, library and computers to ensure that our pupils are well thought.
“There is an electronic device that helps in teaching manufactured in India. I have discussed with the Education Secretary because the Indians brought it and tested it before the Governor. I became interested because I was there during the test run.
“I have concluded with them and they asked me to bring four teachers who will undergo training to enable them train others. So that's why I am putting electricity in that building because as you can see the world has gone digital.”
Hon. Onwusibe said he intends to do same to at least three more primary schools in the other two zones to attract students, teach them in convivial environments, expose them to modern communication technologies as well as ease the burden of hefty school fees parents pay for their children in private schools.
“Our aim is to upgrade one primary school in Ngwaukwu and another in Nsulu to ensure that our children are exposed to modern communication technologies.
People always come to me complaining that they don’t have money to pay their children school fees and when you ask them you discover that the pupils are enrolled in private schools where the school fees are high.
“Government schools are free but parents don't patronize them because they feel the standard is low, so if we can be able to have about three standard schools in Isiala Ngwa North, it will be awesome,” he added.
Speaking on the positive impact of Hon. Onwusibe in education, the Headmistress of Amapu Ntigha Primary School, Mrs. Nwogu Joy Onyejeke who was posted there in 2012 said she met only 185 pupils when she resumed as the head teacher of the school.
According to her, the number has increased to over 400 and still counting largely because of the present standard of the school.
“When I came to this school it has not been fenced, but as you can see we have a perimeter fence. Pupils don't play during break because of the fear of unknown but now that is no longer the case. The school was fenced by ASUBEB through the influence of Ginger Onwusibe who was then the TC chairman,” she said.
She also said that when she was at the school as a classroom teacher in 1996 that the block which was reconstructed to modern edifice by Hon. Onwusibe was the school’s science laboratory with three classroom before it got dilapidated.
“But this time the Executive Chairman of Isiala Ngwa North, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe used his personal money to rehabilitate the building,” she added. She said that upon completion, Hon. Onwusibe has promised to equip the laboratory with modern science equipment.
“Yes, he said he will bring in modern communication technologies to teach the students, he has also provided the pupils with school uniforms, I am with them.
We have shirts and shorts, gowns and blouses, including uniforms for the nursery section. “The transformation is tremendous, before this field was covered with elephant grasses. The pupils cannot make use of it but you can see how beautiful it has become.
He removed all the stubborn grasses, change the goal post and made this place a modern stadium with stand and gallery.” She further said that the May 27, 2017 Children’s Day was used to commissioned the mini-stadium adding that the teachers and pupils werehappy because Hon. Onwusibe has also promised to pay for the primary six pupils first school leaving certificate exam.
Hon. Onwusibe who said that he hopes to commission the project in September also disclosed that he wants to ensure that all roads leading to Isiala Ngwa North are accessible. “These are the few things we are doing to ensure that our people are comfortable.
“I want the people to continue to have confidence in us, pray for us and support our government. I want to assure them that we are here to make sure they enjoy their lives. We are promising that we will leave Isiala Ngwa North better than we met it,” he added.
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