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By Our Correspondent

On Thursday, Nigeria marked her 60^th year of nationhood. Sixty years of self-rule after she gained political freedom from the erstwhile colonialist, Britain.

While Nigerian leaders and followers alike were celebrating the moment, the Chairman, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Honourable Cosmas Ibeziako Ugwueze chose to celebrate the day with the sick, the aged and the vulnerable poor in the council.

In a show of true kindness, humane disposition and care, Hon Ugwueze, accompanied by his wife, Hon. Mrs Oluchukwu Ugwueze, his Vice Chairman, Hon Barr. Walter Ozioko; his appointees; the Leader of Nsukka Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Engr Celestine Ezechinedu, other Councillors of Nsukka LGA and the Local Government Chairman of his great party, the PDP, Hon. Fabian Onah; began the day in the morning hours, defying the cold, unfriendly weather to blaze through parts of his Local Government Area of jurisdiction.

The move, described in many quarters as the first of its kind in the modern history of Nsukka LGA, saw scores of the real hopeless lot of the society benefitting from his show of magnanimity.

The gesture which drew tears from the beneficiaries, was hailed across the Council as a very good sign of a very good tiding ahead.

Beginning his day at the humble abode of a former Leader of Nsukka Legislative Council, Hon. Festus Ugwu, Former Councillor of Eha Ndiagu Ward, who became a victim of a near fatal accident and who has been bedridden for months unend, in a rare show of comraderies, the indefatigable Mayor, also visited Opi, Eha Alumona, Nsukka Metropolitan Town, and Obimo-Ikwoka Wards.

Hon Festus Ugwu, who once was a Leader of the Legislative Council, ran into trouble, when he rammed into a stationary truck, while riding on his motorcycle one early night, falling off and hitting his head on the tarred road, a situation which made him unconscious for weeks and which has led to the paralysis of his entire left limbs. The Chairman’s visit brought smiles to his lips after the chairman doled out funds to support the family.

Two Stroke Healing centers were visited at Idi Opi where several patients recieved huge financial supports.

At the Eluoli Amadim Ogbozara Opi Stroke Healing Center, ran by one Emeroha, Fabian Ugwuanyi, the Mayor, brought hope the way of an old widow believed to be well over a hundred years who could’nt hold back her tears when the Mayor, after gifting the patients with bountiful financial leverage, also blessed her with cash.

In the second Stroke Healing Center also in Ogbozara Opi, another former Councillor of Ihe Ward, who was down with Stroke could not hold back his tears as he wept profusely when the Mayor showered him with bountiful cash gift. The man, Hon. Festus Ozioko, was said to be the Mayor’s colleague during the Chairman’s time as Councillor several years ago.

From Ogbozara Opi, the diligent Chairman’s and entourage went to Odobido Umabor where a family that can righty be described as the poorest of the poor, in the council resides. Here, a family of five has its bread winner, its first son, in a wheel chair, the Father and another son, blind, and another imbecile son who uses crutches. Here, it was the height of outflow of empathy for the Chairman and his entourage as the Chairman also blessed them with cash gift.

From there, all roads led to Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, where over ten sick persons received cash Palliatives from the Chairman.

Rev Father Kelvin, the Assistant Administrator of the ageless health facility, who was on hand to take the Chairman and his team round, while expressing overwhelming gratitude for the Chairman’s kind gestures, also took time, to pray for him, the Executive Governor, Nsukka LGA and Enugu State, respectively.

At Faith Foundation Hospital, Chairman brought smiles on faces, as well over ten patients were showered with cash gifts to ameliorate their problems.

From Faith Foundation, the Chairman and his entourage moved to St. Joseph’s Hospital at New Anglican Road, Nsukka, where one of the sons of one of his appointees, a serving Supervisor, is on admission. There, the Chairman provided a life changing relief to the distressed family.

The climax of the day, however, came when the Chairman and his entourage arrived Ikwoka Obimo in Obimo-Ikwoka Ward, a community, fast garnering popularity due to its sufferings under the excruciating weight of flooding, currently threatening to sack its residence.

On Wednesday September 30, 2020, in response to a distress call let out by the residents of the troubled community in a quickness that perplexed the entire Obimo-Ikwoka people, and which they described as the first-of-its-kind in their history, the Executive Chairman of Nsukka LGA, had visited the community in a see-things-for-yourself gesture. And, there he had toured round the community in a one-on-one interaction with the affected families.

In an address of the distressed community women and men, who had staged a peaceful demonstration to register their grief, the Chairman had conveyed the Goodwill of His Excellency, the Governor to the people and had also promised to come to their aid.

And barely 24 hours after, the Chairman visited the community again with a bus fully loaded with all shades of food items; a gesture which sent the entire Ikwoka, Obimo community into joyous mood.

The communities visited expressed gratitude to God for the blessings and prayed the Almighty to sustain and keep the chairman healthy to transform the oldest local government area in the South East.