Like the Game of Throne where a King in the North emerged but was flustered with over awing skirmishes for the stoic enduring legacy bequeathed him.
So, a Mayor has emerged in the North of the legendary city of Onitsha as Governor Soludo Inaugurated the newly appointed Transitional Council Chairmen on the June 3, 2014 and instantly charged them on serving public purpose.
The newly confirmed Transition Council Chairmen of the 21 local government areas of Anambra State who are from the last nomination exercise directed by the governor, among whom is Hon. Nweze Anthony Nworah took their oath of offices at the Anambra State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Awka.
The swearing-in followed the confirmation of their appointment by the Anambra State House of Assembly in line with Section 208 of the Local Government Law, 1999 as amended.
Therefore, the exercise is no more news but what will remain in the news will be the fall out of the process by the lasting legacies of performance through dividends of democracy that the new council chairmen will bring to bear in the lives of their constituents.
Expectedly, the chairman of Onitsha-North should ordinarily be seen to hit the ground running because of truth, time, the absolute reaper has like a horse left the stable, the mayor only have to catch up with it.
Not in assuaging the purveyors of goodwill or disdain of the naysayers but in self adulation of a man who has work to do and without gainsaying, there are work to do.
Like the sage, Nelson Mandel said in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, that after climbing a mountain, you discover that there are more mountains to be climbed, of course he has climbed this mountain but there are more countless mountains to be climbed.
The time is now ripe for Nworah to prove to the people whom he persuaded over the years to hand him their mandates that he meant the business of changing their lives.
The mayor need to ingeniously look inward in order to discover areas of needs and quickly institute programmes, policies and activities that will positively impact the people’s lives.
Poignantly, it is not enough to excuse the fact that the local government funds are trapped with the governors as the unconstitutional practice has prevailed but to devise means of visible performance that will serve as a ladder for him to climb into the next height of greater responsibility in the state’s political terrain.
As the saying goes that to whom much is given, much is expected, the mayor must adhere to the governor’s advice and look into the area of social amenities to complement the effort of the state government in Onitsha as a city.
He must at this time, think outside the box. There is need for him to use this golden opportunity to touch the lives of the grass root people because all democracies are grass root.
Not just by doling out cash to the individuals who will throng his office in search of bread but by making reforms, engaging the public through dialogues and interactions and consultations.
After all, the state will be stepping into the bout of electioneering very soon, it is the life changing projects and programmes that will speak volumes.
One sure way of achieving this is to look into reviving some of the moribund and obsolete projects scattered all over the places, which were executed by his predecessors, especially lighting up the Onitsha North Local Government Area, as the once shinning street lights have all long gone out.
A revival of the lights is a sure way of curbing crimes both within the metropolis and it’s environs.
Another way is giving a human face to the countless task forces that are littered all over the LGA, harassing, extorting, stealing, maiming and wounding hapless citizens.
In as much as the state and LGA are in strict drive for revenue, the task must be approached with the world best practices of respect to human rights and dignity of man.
Commendably, the governor is filling the void created by his predecessor in the area of roads rehabilitation and reconstruction within the local government area and beyond but the mayor’s attention need now to focus on the inward roads within the council area like the inland town, Akpaka, Omogba etc to channel rehabilitation exercise there.
It will not be out of place for the mayor to consider potholes as an anathema within his domain and a project that will see the inward roads within the streets being rehabilitated will go a long way in bringing succour to the lives of the people.
By these, the people will feel the impact of a Chairman that is visionary, focused and result driven.
In summary, it is the hope of every well meaning individual that the birth of a new beginning is here in Onitsha North. It is therefore the mayor’s call to make a difference.
