—Set To Inaugurate 3th and 4th Road Projects In One Term
— As Work Commences At The Proposed Site For The Construction Of The First Ever Bank Building In Emohua
— Bright Jossy-Elendu writes from Emohua
The chairman of Emohua local government area, Hon. Chidi Lloyd DSSRS, Ph.D., who is also an esteemed member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration (United Kingdom) is widely adjudged to have broken the jinx on infrastructure development in local government administration, following the unprecedented infrastructure revolution witnessed across Emohua local government area under his watch.
Respected leaders and experienced public servants have in different fora described the achievements of Dr. Chidi Lloyd within his first term in office, as the new benchmark for measuring the performance of local government administrations because of his ability to embark on capital-intensive projects believed to be way beyond the financial capacity of a local government administration.
The chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, H.E Amb. Desmond Akawor who performed the inauguration of the 1 Kilometer Eveku road in Eveku-Odegu conceived and completed by the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd, in one of the activities marking the one-year anniversary of the current administration in Emohua LGA in 2022 said, the leadership of the party in Rivers State was very proud of the new narrative set by the Emohua local government chairman within his first year in office.
Amb. Desmond Akawor went further to state that the achievements of Dr. Chidi Lloyd were an attestation of Rivers State Government’s non-interference in the allocation of local government councils in the state.
In the same vein, the immediate past chief of staff at Rivers State Government House, now commissioner for special projects, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke DSSRS, during the commissioning of the 1.5 Kilometer Uke-Eli road in Rundele also conceived and completed by the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd, said the leadership of the PDP in the LGA was very much impressed with the developmental strides of Dr. Chidi Lloyd in the area
Emeka Woke had on different occasions also commended Dr. Chidi Lloyd for not disappointing the people of Emohua local government area who voted him into office, and encouraged the council chairman to keep the flag flying, stressing that the leadership of the LGA was strongly behind his administration.
Recently at the flag-off ceremony for the construction of Elder Chinedu Tasie road (formerly Omkpova-Mgbere road) in the Ibaa community; the 5th in the series of road projects undertaken by the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd, the caucus leader of the PDP in Emohua local government area, Eze Paul Wokhe Wonodi opined that the achievements of Dr. Chidi Lloyd were going to make it very difficult for anyone to challenge the council chairman, if he decides to seek re-election at the expiration of his first term in 2024.
Prince Paul Wonodi said the simultaneous construction of five different roads in five different communities, amid other very critical infrastructure projects within one term of 3 years was very phenomenal.
These statements by these notable political leaders have also been corroborated by renowned religious leaders and traditional rulers, including the general overseer of the Omega Power Ministry (OPM) Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, who described Dr. Chidi Lloyd as Godsent to the people of Emohua LGA.
The respected preacher made the declaration in his ministration at a thanksgiving and dedication service organized by the Emohua local government council, where he was invited as guest minister.
Similarly, the chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Emohua Kingdom, HRM Sir Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse DSSRS, while performing the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of the Ultramodern Emohua Council administrative building conceptualized by the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd in 2021 said, he had no doubt in the council chairman’s ability to surpass the achievements of successive local government administrations.
Ohna Sergeant Awuse said the council chairman’s track record while he served Emohua State constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly was still very much fresh in the memory of the people of the area, hence the people had no doubt in his ability to change the narrative within a very short time.
Also recently, at the unavailing of Miss Mary Ngozi Kekwaru as the Brand Ambassador of Emohua LGA held at the Emohua local government council headquarters, the paramount ruler of the Rundele community, Eze Damian Ejiowhor publicly volunteered to lead the campaign for the re-election of Dr. Chidi Lloyd, following what he described as the unmatched developmental strides of the council chairman within his first term in office.
In his own description of the achievements of Dr. Chidi Lloyd within one term, former chairman of Emohua LGA, Chief Barr. Emmanuel Wonodi said, Dr. Lloyd had set a new standard in local government administration.
Emma Wonodi also encouraged Dr. Chidi Lloyd not to be distracted by the activities of disgruntled elements, especially those within the ragtag remnant of the opposition political parties in the local government area.
It might interest you to know that apart from former governor Nyesom Wike who was able to embark on capital-intensive projects such as the construction of a community road when he served as chairman of Obio-Akpor local government area, road construction was almost believed to be the responsibility of states and the federal government alone because of its cost implication, but Dr. Chidi Lloyd came on board as the chairman of Emohua local government area in 2021 and broke the jinx with the simultaneous conception and execution of four (4) community road projects in Eveku, Rundele, Ubimini, and Akpabu communities within his first year in office.
Successive local government administrations across Nigeria had practically restricted themselves to non-capital-intensive projects such as the construction of community halls, community markets, classroom blocks, community police stations, borehole water projects, and the usual renovation (repainting) of their respective local government council secretariat complex but Chidi Lloyd came, saw and conquered with a new narrative to the admiration of many and beyond the imagination of the people of Emohua LGA.
Apart from the construction of internal roads within the local government council secretariat complex, successive local government administrations in Rivers State never attempted to construct a kilometer of road in communities, even when some local government councils can confidently fund road construction projects with their internally generated revenue.
Today, Emohua local government, one of the poorest local government areas in Rivers State in terms of revenue generation is taking the lead in infrastructure development, not necessarily because of the recent improvement in the federal allocation, following the implementation of the federal government policy on subsidy removal but because of the council chairman’s determination and commitment towards the development of the local government area, which predates the subsidy removal regime.
Having broken the jinx, Dr. Chidi Lloyd is said to have murdered the fear of embarking on capital intensive projects at the third-tier government.
A number of local government administrations are beginning to undertake road construction and other capital intensive projects, especially across Rivers State.
A renowned public affairs analyst, Dr. Brave Ogubuike in one of his radio appearances monitored in PortHarcourt noted that the widely celebrated infrastructure revolution witnessed across Emohua local government area under the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd has triggered a healthy competition amongst serving local government council chairmen in Rivers State, especially those in their first term, resulting to the array of infrastructure projects undertaken by local government administrations across the state.
Aside from the simultaneous construction of five different roads in five different communities across Emohua LGA, Dr. Chidi Lloyd also has other capital intensive infrastructure projects to his name.
The council chairman is about completing a befitting administrative building in Emohua local government council; a state-of-the-art storey building with a penthouse and an elevator, to provide a comfortable working environment for the executive arm and principal officers of the local government council. This is the first of its kind since the creation of Emohua LGA in 1991.
The first-ever Emohua local government council chapel and marriage registry conceptualized by Dr. Chidi Lloyd, completed and commissioned within one year of his administration is already in use at the council headquarters.
Emohua Local Government Council headquarter currently houses one of the best, if not the best local government primary healthcare center in Rivers State, conceived and completed within one year of the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd.
The local government council also parades one of the finest cafeterias (canteen) in the south-south region, conceived and completed within one year of the administration of Dr Chidi Lloyd.
Before the emergence of Dr. Chidi Lloyd as the chairman of Emohua local government area in 2021, there was no presence of any financial institution in the area.
It took the political will of Chidi Lloyd and the support of the local government management team to attract the first-ever ATM Gallery operated by Titan Trust Bank at the Emohua local government council headquarters within one year of his administration.
The first-ever Bank Building in the history of Emohua LGA is also being undertaken simultaneously by Emohua local government.
The bank building being constructed by the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd at the council headquarters in Emohua is expected to upon completion be leased to a reputable financial institution for full banking operation, for the first time since the creation of Emohua LGA in 1991.
A 20,000-gallon Braithwaite Water Scheme conceived, completed, and commissioned within one year of the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd is already reticulating portable water to all the departments and facilities within the council headquarters. This is also the first of its kind.
Having completed and commissioned two road projects conceived and executed by his administration in Eveku-Odegu and Uke-Eli in Rundele, Dr. Chidi Lloyd had already set a new standard in infrastructure development but with the completion of the 1 Kilometer Chief Nyesom Wike Drive in Akpabu community and the 1 Kilometer Ubimini community road already undergoing asphalt laying, Emohua local government arguably maintains the lead in infrastructure development in the comity of local governments, not only in Rivers State but across Nigeria.
Aside from the ongoing construction of a storey building police station situated opposite the Emohua Campus of the Rivers State University along Emohua-Kalabari road, which upon completion is expected to house the first ever divisional police headquarters in the local government headquarters, the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd had also within one year conceived and completed an administrative secretariat building for the Emohua LGA Vigilante Services (EMOVIS) situated at Mgbuitanwo Junction, along the East-West road, with a view to improving the services of the local government internal security architecture.
The reconstruction and re-modeling of the Emohua local government legislative assembly complex were undertaken simultaneously with the construction of the Council Pavilion (mini stadium), Council Warehouse (store), Council ICT Studio, Cold Chain Facility, Doctor’s Residential Quarter and Offices for healthcare workers, and the completion of the secretariat building (office complex) abandoned by successive administrations, amid the earnest construction of Elder Chinedu Tasie road in Ibaa community, further confirmes Amb. Desmond Akawor’s assertion that Dr. Chidi Lloyd had broken the jinx on infrastructure development in local government administration.
As the people of Emohua local government area await the commissioning of the 1 Kilometer Chief Nyesom Wike Drive in the Akpabu community and the 1 Kilometer Ubimini road in the Ubimini community, being the 3th and the 4th in the series of road projects conceived and completed by the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd, a lot of questions bothering on the council chairman’s source of the fund had risen from far and near.
These questions continue to seek answers as Dr. Chidi Lloyd continues to commission and flag off more capital intensive projects beyond the imagination of many, including his traducers.
The achievements of Dr. Chidi Lloyd within his first term in office may not only have put great fear in the minds of those eyeing the office of Emohua local government chairman but it is also an eye-opener to the council chairman’s traducers within the internally displaced politicians (IDPs) in Emohua local government area, whose every attempt to distract the number one citizen of the LGA will continued to hit brick-wall.
It is also important to note that in all of these laudable achievements, the administration of Dr. Chidi Lloyd is up to date in the payment of staff salary, including elected officers and political appointees of the local government council.
Dr. Chidi Lloyd and his team may have denied themselves some personal benefits and entitlements to achieve this great milestone within this short period but the Emohua local government council as presently constituted doesn’t compromise prompt payment of staff salary, hence the cordial relationship between the chairman, management team and staff of Emohua local government council.
Bright Jossy-Elendu is the Chief Press Secretary To The Chairman, Emohua Local Government Area.
