I plan to return our youths to path of peace, progress and development -Ndukwe

Omezue Uchendu Paul Ndukwe is a retired Major of the Nigerian Army and he is one man whose sense of humility has endeared him to his people of OPI (Amasiri) Community, in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Before his retirement from the army, he was Commander of the Technical Group, Lagos. The Business Administration graduate of Yaba College of Technology Lagos, has the nod of his people to be the next Eze of OPI Kingdom, and he’s unanimously believed to have the nudge to deliver. In this interview with EDWARD NNACHI, he talks about the sufferings of his people, his plans for them and the possibility of Governor David Nweze Umahi’s re-election in 2019.

We heard the OPI kingship election comes up soon and you are one of the contestants. What prompted you to go into this Ezeogoship contest?
Service, service, and service to my people who are now desirous of a positive change in this community. One of the reasons why I decided to contest this Ezeogoship is for me to have the traditional and legal backings of my people to stem the tide of youths’ restiveness, which has nearly become the order of the day in OPI Community.

I want to see how I can change this attitude in our youths and return them to the path of peace, progress and development.

I have seen that if our youths are disciplined and patient, many good things will come their way especially, good education and transfer of great knowledge that will open doors of opportunities for them.

Again, I want to improve the welfare of my people. I have seen in other places, where I have been opportune to live how people live and I saw that people fare better in those places, because of their simple and mature approach to life.

And there, you find that people live above poverty level and have better living standard. So, I want to replicate same here in my community.

If you become the Eze (King) of OPI today, what would you do differently that has never been done by past OPI kings?
Well, I cannot compare myself to another person, because I have my own style of management and leadership.

However, and like I said initially, I will work with relevant stakeholders to improve the living standard of my people.

As we speak, we don’t have basic amenities like safe drinking water, good roads and stable electricity in OPI Community.

Therefore, God willing and I become the Eze of OPI; we will ensure these issues are addressed one by one.

My people still lack safe and good public latrines, the type that’s of the standard recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and you can equally find that most of the schools we have here are not fenced, thus exposing both students and teachers to danger.

We need to improve on these things and make sure our people live better than they have lived before now.

I want my people to start heaving a sigh of relief here in the midst of abundance as obtains in other parts of the world.

Amasiri is said to have benefitted a lot from the current administration in Ebonyi State under Engr. Dave Umahi, the executive governor. Do you think the governor has done well to deserve re-election in 2019?
The governor has done well in this state to deserve re-election. And talking about Amasiri here, he has equally done very well. Look at our roads, particularly the one from Amasiri to Okposi, he has fixed it.

Hitherto, if you are travelling from Amasiri to Abakaliki it used to be a herculean task—a journey you would have done in less than an hour, you find yourself doing same journey in three or four hours then.

But, the governor has corrected most road challenges here, and one can travel to Abakaliki from Amasiri in less than one hour at the moment. He will win. I do believe he will win, because his work is speaking for him.

We have also seen he still plans to mount street lights for us here in Amasiri, although we learnt that the same goes to all the villages in the 13 local government areas of the state.

These things have never happened before and they are pluses for him. Again, why I will like our able Governor Umahi to be re-elected is because of what he has done for our people here in OPI.

He gave our illustrious sons and daughters the opportunities to serve in government. An Amasiri son, by name Hon. Enyim O. Enyim, is now the Chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area for the first time, 40 years after the creation of this very council.

We, from Amasiri appreciate him for the massive development, roads, good drainage system and different empowerments he has brought here. We see him winning again.

People allege that the underdevelopment of Amasiri has been majorly caused by the unaccommodating disposition of her people. What is your take on this?
This allegation is false and baseless. The people of Amasiri are very accommodating and I will remind you of the olden days when, Amasiri had boundaries with Igbere, Nkporo, Akaeze, Okposi and our close neighbour and brother here, Edda.

So, anybody who says the people of Amasiri are not welcoming is not doing us any justice and that person, is merely casting us in bad light.

You can see our brothers over there, at Ehugbo too. And most of these boundaries are still there till date. We accommodate everybody.

Amasiri is the centre of economic activities in old Afikpo zone, because of its strategic position. Before you exit into any part of the country as a transporter or traveler, the easiest way for you is Amasiri.

Even during the war, Amasiri had 82 Brigade of the Nigerian Army. It’s just because many people do not know and still do not understand the people of Amasiri very well, that’s why they could be comfortable to say we are unaccommodating.

We are very welcoming, Nnachi. Any Amasiri person you see that is unaccommodating is merely exhibiting an individual trait, and that is not enough to say Amasiri people are unwelcoming people.

We are not hostile people in any way and that’s equally justified in the fact that many transporters, businessmen and women, and craftsmen from different parts of Nigeria have their bases in Amasiri.

Tell us about yourself, Omezue.
My name is Omezue Paul Uchendu Ndukwe. I was born in Amasiri in 1954 and I moved to Lagos, from where I joined the Army.

I went to Yaba College of Technology, Lagos where I studied Business Administration up to the Higher National Diploma (HND) level. I have equally worked in Intertek Caleb Nigeria Limited, an oil services company in Delta State.

I am a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM); and I am a graduate member of the Institute of Marketing (NIM). While with the Army, I was Commander of the Tech Group in Lagos.

I believe that people should study to become what they aspire to become in order to carve better opportunities for themselves in future.

And that was all about me before I made up my mind to come and contest the Ezeogoship in my community, OPI. And if given the chance to become the Eze of OPI Community, I will push for peaceful co-existence amongst my people and even with non-indigenes.

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I want to see how I can change this attitude in our youths and return them to the path of peace, progress and development. I have seen that if our youths are disciplined and patient, many good things will come their way especially, good education and transfer of great knowledge that will open doors of opportunities for them. Again, I want to improve the welfare of my people