By Michael Ovat – Awka
The newly inaugurated Executive Chairman of Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Hon. Oluchukwu John Ilogbenu, has declared environmental renewal an immediate priority of his administration and unveiled an ambitious grassroots development agenda aimed at building a cleaner, safer, healthier, more productive and prosperous Idemili South.
Delivering his inaugural address at the Local Government Secretariat, Ojoto, on Saturday, Ilogbenu said his administration would be driven by the philosophy “Idemili South Rising — From the Grassroots to Greatness,” with emphasis on measurable results, accountability, community participation and disciplined deployment of public resources.
The Mayor announced that his administration would immediately domesticate the Anambra State Government’s environmental emergency response, with particular attention to flooding, erosion, blocked waterways, indiscriminate waste disposal and poor environmental sanitation.
He announced the establishment of an Idemili South Environmental Emergency Action Committee to coordinate urgent interventions across communities.
The administration’s environmental programme will prioritise drainage and waterway clearance, improved waste management, community environmental teams, flood and erosion prevention, stormwater and catchment management, cleaner markets and public spaces, as well as tree planting and community beautification.
Beyond the environment, Ilogbenu announced that his administration would undertake a comprehensive baseline assessment to guide development planning and budgeting. This will include an infrastructure audit, Primary Health Centre functionality review, school condition assessment, revenue and economic opportunity mapping, environmental and drainage mapping, and security stakeholders assessment.
On healthcare, the Mayor pledged to strengthen Primary Health Centres as genuine first points of care, with particular attention to maternal and child health and the provision of essential equipment where necessary.
Education will also receive attention through an assessment of school infrastructure and learning needs, while targeted interventions will build on his previous experience supporting WAEC registration and school renovation.
On security, Ilogbenu announced plans to convene a Security Stakeholders Summit, bringing together security agencies, traditional institutions, town unions and community security structures. His administration will also strengthen cooperation with the State’s Homeland Security architecture and explore practical interventions, including strategic solar street lighting, to improve community safety.
Infrastructure development, particularly internal roads and drainage, will be pursued systematically and in partnership with communities and relevant state institutions, with interventions prioritised according to need, impact and available resources.
The Mayor also pledged to create a more enabling environment for businesses, traders, artisans, professionals, entrepreneurs and young people, while engaging the private sector, diaspora, development partners and successful sons and daughters of Idemili South in sustainable community development.
Reflecting on his previous service as Councillor representing Nnobi Ward 2, Ilogbenu cited interventions including the Light-Up Ngo solar streetlight project across eleven roads, support for Umuagu Model Health Centre, WAEC registration sponsorship, school renovation and road interventions as evidence of what community-government partnership can achieve.
Ilogbenu thanked Governor Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, for providing a development framework through the Solution Agenda and said Idemili South would work to translate the State Government’s development agenda into practical results at the grassroots.
He also acknowledged the First Lady of Anambra State, Dr Mrs Nonye Soludo, for her contributions to healthy living, social development and family wellbeing.
The Mayor commended his predecessor, Hon. Mrs Amaka Obi (Iyom Ifeabata), for her interventions in community development and women and youth empowerment, assuring that his administration would consolidate programmes that work, improve areas requiring attention and introduce innovation where gaps exist.
He called on residents to support the administration when it performs well and to hold it constructively accountable where it falls short.
Declaring that Idemili South possesses enormous human, cultural and economic potential, the Mayor stated that his administration would be judged not by promises but by measurable outcomes.
He called on communities, traditional institutions, town unions, churches, markets, businesses, professionals, youths, women, civil servants and members of the diaspora to become active stakeholders in the new administration.
“Together, we will build a cleaner, safer, healthier, more productive and more prosperous Idemili South. Idemili South is Rising — From the Grassroots to Greatness,” Ilogbenu declared.
