From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
The Transitional Council chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area,Enugu state, Mrs Chinwe Ugwu, has said she has no apology to have given out wheel barrows as a means of empowerment to some of her constituents because they couldn’t afford to own the truck on their own.
The distribution of the 30 number of wheel barrows to the benefactors. by Mrs Ugwu on Monday, January 13, has attracted critisms from several quarters, most especially citizens of Nsukka Council area.
But in a swift reaction, Mrs Ugwu told newsmen yesterday that she is not done yet as she had the intention to increase the number to 100.
“I don’t feel bad at all. I don’t see anything bad in what I have done. I have no apology for anybody. People who don’t understand what I have done can go ahead and say whatever they like. I even want to make it up to a hundred.
” These are poor people who could not afford to buy barrow but had to hire them for between N200 to N300.00 a day.
“Some youths came to me and pleaded on their behalf and I told them to go and write down the names of those barrow pushers that cannot afford to buy one.
” You need to see how happy they were that they now have their own barrow which was given to them free of charge. They were asked to write whatever they liked on the barrow because it now belonged to them.
” They were so happy that some of them came and touched me asking me, “Mayor, can we touch you?” You need to have seen them. It was as if they were seeing and touching Jesus. They were so happy and I have no apology. I’ll even do more. I heard that some labourers hire shovels and head pans for mason and concrete work. I’ll also buy head pans and shovels for them so that they can fend for their families.
“All my life, my heart has been going for the poorest of the poor and you know that you have the poorest of the poor all over the world. Will you phase out barrow pushing because of Chinwe Ugwu?,”
