Oscar David KALU, Reports
The Senator representing Imo North Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate, Dist. Sen. Patrick Ndubueze, who currently ranks among the most Youth-Friendly in Nigeria, and one highly rated legislator of the 10th National Assembly in terms of delivery of dividend of Democracy, has on July 5, 2025 reaffirmed commitement to radical development and transformation of the hitherto abandoned Okigwe Zone in the State and the South East.
He made this assertion at the Okigwe Youth Digestive Forum held at the Rockview Hotel, Owerri, Imo State, where he featured as Special Guest of Honour.
Below is the full text of the Keynote Address by a silent achiever and jinx-breaker:
PROTOCOL.
When I received your invitation to this event, I was exceedingly happy to have been availed another opportunity, this time by the youths, to interface with my people on the very important issue of the development of Okigwe Zone. So, I want to thank you for considering me fit to be invited to this gathering of Okigwe Youths. I am particularly enthralled by the choice of theme for the Summit: OKIGWE ZONE AND THE WAY FORWARD.
Since I became an adult, one issue that has continued to agitate my mind is the negative narrative about Okigwe not being developed. Orlu used to be part of that narrative but they have since moved forward leaving us behind. My avowed determination to reverse that ugly reputation is my reason for seeking political office.
In 1992 at the age of twenty-nine with that burning desire to change the negative developmental reputation, I represented Okigwe in the Federal House and, though that outing was cut short by the military, I was able to leave some developmental marks on Okigwe landscape. The Prison Farm Settlement designed to engender cottage industries in Okigwe and the then reconstruction of Okigwe-Owerri road are living examples.
In the course of my campaign in 2022/23, I had promised that I would try my level best, if voted into the Senate, to transform the landscape of Okigwe Zone by contributing my modest quota to the infrastructural development of the Zone; to give the zone a pride of place in the economic, social and political reckoning in Imo State nay Nigeria; and to give our youth reason to hope for a better tomorrow.
In the past two years, I have striven to keep those promises. I am excited for instance, that my determination to stand Okigwe Zone in good stead in research and education in the South – East and Nigeria, has come to fruition. Today, by an Act of the National Assembly, we have a University by the name FEDERAL UNIVERSITY, OKIGWE on OKIGWE soil. Thanks to the people of Okigwe Zone for giving me the opportunity to prove my mettle, thanks to His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma, CON for his fatherly guidance and support, thanks to my colleagues in the National Assembly led by Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON for their co-operation and, most importantly, thanks to Mr. President Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for appending his almighty signature to the bill to make it an Act.
I need to point out that the multiplier effect of the establishment of an institution of that magnitude in any location is almost limitless. Aside from giving admission to the countless admission-seeking youths in the South-East and beyond, the attendant job and business opportunities created by way of employment in the institution, real estate development within and around the university environment, small scale businesses that will sprout around the area, as well as procurement avenues and infrastructural explosion that will be thrown up within and around the institution, should be a huge cause for joy for our people. Let me quickly assure you that the physical development of the institution will commence in earnest.
One of the greatest problems that have, over the years, impeded the development of Okigwe Zone is lack of electricity from the public power supply. The foresighted Dee Sam Mbakwe (may his soul rest in peace) made a bold attempt to cure this deficiency when he set up the Amaraku Power Station in the early eighties but that initiative was killed during the military era and that took Okigwe back to square one.
With that in mind and cognizant of the importance of electric power in the process of development, I swung into action right from my first day in the Senate intent on electrifying Okigwe Zone and exciting economic activities in the Zone. In this regard, on account of my intervention through the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, FGN-POWER and the Rural Electrification Agency REA, Okigwe Zone will soon be illuminated. My office has secured the allocation of a 1/60 MVA MOBITRA SUBSTATION for the supply of electricity to the zone. This will be mounted and switched on as soon as the on-going planting of towers, laying of power lines, preparation of the site at Okigwe and erection of the structures that will accommodate the workers and security men are completed. With the way work is progressing at various locations, we believe that electricity will be restored to Okigwe by December or thereabout. Meanwhile the mounting of transformers by the Federal Rural Electrification Agency is ongoing in some communities in the zone. With a Federal University, steady power supply and attendant job and other opportunities, I am of the firm belief that our youths will be too engaged to be part of meaningless and undesirable activities.
Again, I am happy to inform you that, as usual, the State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma is making invaluable contributions towards the realization of this power project in Okigwe Zone. I remain ever grateful to him. We should also be grateful to him for the road infrastructure explosion being witnessed in Imo State since he assumed office. The completion of Owerri-Okigwe and Owerri-Obowo roads has contributed in no small measure to the development of the zone.
Following from that, I have used my position in the Senate to facilitate the inclusion of over ten inter-connecting roads within and outside Okigwe zone in the Federal Appropriation Act to further lift the zone from its perceived development inertia. Some of these roads have been awarded while others are at various stages in the procurement process. Details of the roads are by now common knowledge as they have been repeatedly listed in my various constituency briefing speeches and copiously advertised both on the social and conventional media.
My constituency projects, some of which have been completed and others at various stages in the procurement process are designed to improve on the infrastructure deficiency in our zone. For instance, solar-powered boreholes have been successfully drilled in Umuduruegbeaguru in Onuimo L.G.A and Ikpem in Ehime Mbano L.G.A while the Umualumoke Health Centre in Okigwe LGA and another Health Centre in Onuimo LGA have been completely rehabilitated. Similarly constituency projects as captured in the 2024 and 2025 appropriation Acts will soon be undertaken in all the wards in Okigwe zone.
You may recall that my office had in 2024 facilitated the procurement and installation of over five hundred (500) solar-powered street lights in communities across the six LGAs in the zone.
In the area of food security and related infrastructure, I have been in active engagement with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture on the abandoned Silos facility at the Ezinachi area of Okigwe. A new location has been acquired for the facility and I am informed that the facility will be ready for use by December in the storage of the otherwise wasted grains and other agricultural products within the South-East Zone. The completion and use of this facility will, no doubt, alleviate the perennial food shortage that usually precede the harvest period in the farming cycle.
Great Youths of Okigwe zone, please correct me if I am wrong but I believe that my 31st December 2024 Empowerment of Okigwe Youths and women was a salutary contribution to the economic growth of the zone. During that programme, I gave out 96 sewing machines, 19 mini-buses, 10 tricycles, 119 grinding machines, 22 power generating sets, 23 laptops, 23 refrigerators and 12 motorcycles. The meaningful deployment of these 325 items by the beneficiaries will add some mileage to their lives and by extension, to the development of our zone.
In the meantime, my office has so far organized over five training and workshop programmes for our youths and women. These programmes covered many and varied areas of specialty and benefited over one thousand youths and women all of whom went home with necessary tools and equipment and start-up funds to practice what they learnt.
My sponsorship of 21 Imo youths to the recently concluded one month Boot-camp training programme of the Federal Ministry of Steel Development at MTI Onitsha was targeted at arming and equipping our Youths with the necessary skills, and certifications to make meaningful contributions to the highly competitive steel industry and very importantly, to set up their own businesses. Majority of those youths were from Okigwe zone.
As you may be aware, through my efforts, some graduate sons and daughters of Okigwe zone have been to China and back for capacity building programmes in various areas of specialty. I have also secured appointments/promotions for a good number of our sons and daughters in Federal MDAs and overseas. Over twenty persons have benefited from this continuing exercise. The names of some of the beneficiaries are already in the public domain.
At this juncture, it will be appropriate to mention that the seven (7) bills and 8 motions sponsored/co-sponsored by me within my two-year period in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly have been geared towards the socio-economic and political upliftment of not just Okigwe Zone but Imo State, the South-East and Nigeria at large. Again, my legislative accomplishments have been listed in my previous speeches which are all over the social and conventional media.
Every well meaning Okigwe person should be disturbed by the unenviable development status of Okigwe Zone viz-a-vis other zones in the State. It will be wrong for me to cast aspersions and/or lay the blame on the table of political leaders since 1999 all of whom tried their level best. The best approach is to chart a way forward and that is why I align myself with the theme of this Summit: OKIGWE ZONE AND THE WAY FORWARD.
The people of Okigwe, one and all, must learn to be selfless. Our political leaders must learn to be selfless in the management of the resources put in their care for the benefit of the people; they must eschew self-aggrandisement and embrace service to the people. The average Okigwe person must jettison the proclivity to pull down his or her kinsman who is in position of authority. If a political office holder realizes that his people are solidly behind him, he will be encouraged to strive to impress and satisfy their developmental yearnings. On the other hand, if his people are always at his throat with destructive and not constructive criticisms, chances are that he will put his personal needs before the general good. As Youths, you must learn to stand up to and condemn those whose stock in trade is to malign and pull down our sons and daughters in positions of authority just because they are not privileged to be there. For as long as we continue to brook such negative and destructive attitude in our zone, so long shall we continue to trail behind in development. Afterall, development does not fall from above; it is generated by human beings.
I therefore charge you to be in the vanguard for re-orientation and positive attitudinal change in our zone. That, for me is the way forward for Okigwe zone.
On my part, no matter the circumstance, my age long desire, determination and vision to contribute my quota to the development of Okigwe zone and Imo State at large will never wane.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF OKIGWE ZONE IS A TASK THAT MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED.
Let us join hands and make it possible.
Thank you and God bless.
Senator Patrick C. Ndubueze,FNSE, FNICE, FNIHTE, FICANI
(Imo North Senatorial District)