By Dennis Agbo

ENUGU-ODUMA-Achara community in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State has spent almost N5 million on its rural electrification project.

The project is listed as priority and most essential development project for the community in the state government’s Visit Every Community, VEC, programme.

•Igwe Murphy Chukwu and P-G Pius Ani inspecting Oduma Achalla rural electrification scheme.

Traditional ruler of the community, HRH, Igwe Murphy Chukwu said the first phase of the project which involved drawing of high tension cables and installation of 50KVA transformers was executed with the first trench of N5 million development fund, made available to every autonomous community by the state government.

Igwe Chukwu who gave account of how the development fund was expended within the past one year, said that the town union invited bids from three electrical contractors, out of which it chose the contractor with the lowest bid since they had limited fund.

In the community accountability meeting which involved tour of the project sites, the traditional ruler also pointed out how personal funds by members of the community such as himself and the President- General were used to execute culverts in the community.

“We have had other projects in the community like the market project, construction of culverts, heath centre project in 2012 when I was 10 years on the throne and the health centre came with power generating set and borehole,” Chukwu said.

The community also showcased its market project which most of the shops have been allocated to members of the community for commercial activities.

“We still have some balance of money and materials and the next stage is to step down the electricity. Upon the receipt of the N5 million from the state government, a separate account was dedicated for the money. A six- man committee that cut across all the clans of the community was inaugurated for the purposes of executing whatever project is agreed by the community.

•Leaders of Oduma-Achara in accountability meeting.

“The community through a well attended meeting agreed to buy electric poles and wires for the purpose of electrifying the community as they considered that as the most pressing need which the said amount could afford,” Igwe Chukwu accounted.

President-General of the community, Mr. Pius Ani, while responding to allegation of fraud by a section of the community, said that there was never a time the Igwe and his council shared VEC fund.

“We only use it for electrification as was agreed. We have account book for the community that has no alteration. The town union at no time embezzled the community development fund. Every kobo of the VEC fund was judiciously utilised as approved.

“We want the community to help us approve the next phase of the project which is stepping down the electricity project,” said Ani.

Women leader of the Oduma-Achara community, Ezinne Cecilia Uwakwe said that majority of the community chose electrification of the community because the community had not had electricity for the first time.

“Government said it will give N10 million to every community but what we got was N5 million for now, same as other communities in the state. I am a woman leader and we have seen the statement of account, “Mrs. Uwakwe said.

Youth leader, Sergius Njoku said one of the conditions for accessing the development fund was peaceful coexistence in the community.

“We have other projects to execute such as grading of roads and construction of schools, but as you can see, we are still working on electricity,” he stated.