May 15, (THEWILL) – Mr Eugene Njoku, an indigene of Umuduruegwelle Autonomous Community in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, has vowed to take over his dilapidated building, which had since been abandoned, from the community.
Njoku, who was spotted while clearing the bushes that had overgrown the premises of the health centre, told THEWILL that in 2003, residents of the community pleaded with him to give them his building for use as a health centre in order to facilitate their request for autonomy.
He said he gave his house to the community for that purpose and later, regretted that since then the building had been abandoned by the community and government.
“This is my first labour. I want to take back my house to renovate it myself and live there with my children. They could not maintain it for me.
“I was residing in Edo State, but now that I am in the village, my house should be given back to me”, he said.
An indigene of the community, who gave her name as Mrs. Caroline Iwu, told our correspondent that pregnant women in the area had resorted to going to private hospitals for antenatal and child delivery.
“The nurses working in this health centre have stopped coming to work for many months. You can see how bushy the compound has become.”
In an interview, the traditional ruler of Umuduruegwelle Autonomous Community, His Royal Highness, Eze Daniel Emereonye, confirmed that the community pleaded with Njoku to lease out the building.
The monarch said that residents of Umudurugwelle had before then written several letters requesting the Imo State Government to come to their aid, but to no avail.
“He left his house for our community to use as a health centre for 18 years. Unfortunately, all our efforts to upgrade were fruitless,” Eze Emeronye added.
He appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma to come to the aid of the community by giving the health centre a facelift.
Efforts made to reach any member of the staff of the health centre proved abortive as they were said to have travelled as of the time of filing this report.
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