By Ikeugonna Eleke
Natives and residents of Onitsha North and South Local Government Areas, have celebrated the return of pipe borne water in their city, 25 years after.
Family members of Agwuzani Family in Umuaroli, Onitsha who briefed journalists in Awka, Anambra State, expressed excitement over this and vowed to return Governor Chukwuma Soludo in the forthcoming Guber Election.
The family who were led by Mr Sunday Ogoazi the Diokpa (leader) of the family, said Prof. Chukwuma Soludo had offered Anambra People good leadership for which the people owed him massive support for him to return for a second term.
He said besides coming to Awka to thank the Governor for returning pipe borne water to the city, they also came to thank Soludo for saving them from land grabbers who had earlier tried to seize their land, after victory in a protracted court case involving Ogwugwu Agbu Land, which, they said, was bequeathed them by their forefathers.
‘We want to appreciate Mr Governor, Charles Soludo, for what he has done for us and remember that in the last 25 years, Onitsha North and South Local Government Areas had no pipe borne water, but today Soludo’s Administration has revived the water project and we are now enjoying water supply.
‘It is this same family that gave Anambra State Government the land on which the Onitsha Water Board was built, and if you go to Onitsha today, we have water unlike in the past 25 years.
‘We have water everywhere, even in our houses, and in every home and we are going to vote for Soludo in this coming election,’ he maintained.
Speaking on the recently recovered 75.55 hectares of Ogwugwu Agbu Land, the family said some masked men chased them from their land after they secured victory in a 19-year long litigation. They however said that Soludo waded into the matter and helped them to regain their land.
‘We are here to show appreciation to the Government of Anambra State over the land.
‘There was a court matter over 19 years on the land issue and after that, there was a judgement; we secured victory. We have already given part of the recovered land to the government for use on overriding public interest.
‘In the survey sheet, you will see where we gave the government two third of the land while one third of the land was given to us, the family.
‘We thank Prof. Chukwuma Soludo for helping us to recover our land. That is what leadership and governance is about. We are assuring him that we will vote for him in the forthcoming Governorship Election,’ Ogoazi assured.
