By Victoria Onyisi
The good news that the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has promised to set up a mobile telecommunication base station in Ugbene Ajima community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area (LGA) in the last few days is still generating excitement among the peace loving of the community.
The overall intention which is part of the ongoing dividend of democracy that the Governor is rolling out is to save the rural dwellers from dearth of mobile network and address the challenge of insecurity in the area.
Mbah, made the disclosure at an interactive chat with the people of the state on the popular social media channel X to mark his one year in office as governor.
A native of Ugbene Ajima community, Mr. Ebuka Michael, had at the interactive chat expressed concern over the security of lives and property in rural communities.
He noted that the present efforts of the state government to improve agriculture and security would be futile if rural communities were left in the lurch, with no access to mobile network.
According to him, since the creation of Adam, Ugbene Ajima community located few communities from Nimbo has never had mobile network.
He expressed concern that with the recent attack in Nimbo community by suspected herdsmen, border communities like Ugbene were at risk, a situation worsened by lack of mobile network to coordinate local security efforts.
Ebuka, also expressed concern that lack of mobile network made it difficult to communicate with security agencies to respond to emerging security threats in the area.
According to him, reported cases of farmers killed in their farmlands met with no response from security agencies because there was no access to mobile network to alert them of the unfortunate incidents. He said the community had written series of letters to telecoms providers but they turned deaf ears to the people’s plight.
In his response, the Governor said a base station would be installed in the area to enhance access to mobile network.
He said: “I have taken note of that. I am going to ensure that action is taken to install a base station around that area, so that there will be network for communities living around that area. I have just taken note of that. I will action that. Thank you for bringing that up.”
The Chairman of Concerned People of Ugbene Ajima, Tony Eze, told journalists that the governor has raised the hopes of Ugbene Ajima people, with his promise to install a mobile telecommunications base station in the area.
He described the Governor’s intervention as timely, noting that despite the huge agricultural produce of Ugbene community, the area has been robbed of development by unavailable mobile network.
He said the installation of the base station by the Governor would definitely open up the communities for development, jump-start small businesses and as well enhance swift response to emerging local security challenges.
Ugbene Ajima, an agrarian community located 15 kilometers from Nsukka township shares borders with Eziani, Nkpologu, Abbi, Nrobo and Nimbo communities.
The Eziani-Ugbene-Ajima-Nimbo road constructed by the former Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has become the preferred route for motorists going to Adani and Anambra State. In spite of the huge agricultural potentials of the community and business prospects as a transit town, lack of mobile network has left the community largely undeveloped and redolent of age.
