The corps member, Williams with others during the inauguration of the borehole.
| credits: Segun Olatunji
Imo is a rustic community located within Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yet its people do not have access to basic amenities such as potable water and good toilet facilities.
This, it was learnt, has been the condition of the area since 1827 when their forefathers migrated from Orile-Imo homestead to their present place within Abeokuta metropolis.
As far as the people are concerned, there is nothing like dividends of democracy.
Concerned by the plight of the people, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, Mr. Igbigbi Williams, from Delta State, donated a borehole and a four-room modern toilet facilities worth N1.3m to the community.
Williams, with service number OG/11C/2554 came into the community last March and saw the need for the community to have potable water and modern toilets.
He said he got in touch with some prominent indigenes of the community and told them about his plan.
Williams, a graduate of Geography and Meteorology from the Enugu State University of Technology told our correspondent that he was encouraged by the enthusiasm exhibited by the leaders of the community when he informed them about his plan.
This, according to him, made him to ensure that the project was completed within seven months through direct labour.
Williams said, “Today marks a very important day in my life because it is a day I have fulfilled a part of my heart desires, which is putting smiles on people’s faces. When I was posted to this community, I took my time to go round in order to find out the most pressing needs of the people.
“In the course of doing this, I discovered that their most collective and pressing needs were modern toilet facility and potable water.
“Immediately I went to discuss my intention of providing these facilities with the head of the community who gladly accepted my proposals and gave me a portion of land where I eventually erected the projects.”
Williams, however, acknowledged that the projects would not have been possible if not for the financial assistance he received from some philanthropists like the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Lemo, the Baale of Lisa, Chief Nojeem Odugbemi, and the Odofin of Imo, Chief Akeem Adesina.
“So, it was not a surprise when on October 3 the people of Imo community adorned in their best attires, rolled out the drums to celebrate this unprecedented event,” he said.
The community’s monarch, Oba Kolawole Olubiyi, who led other traditional chiefs to the venue of the inauguration could not hide his excitement.
Olubiyi in his speech said it was the first time a project of such magnitude would be inaugurated in the community since 1817 either by an individual or the government.
Olubiyi said, “As a matter of fact, these projects are some of the most important things needed by the people of Imo. This corps member came to me one day and said that he was directed by the local government council to come and site the toilet and the borehole here.
“The corps member is one of those boys I’ve seen fulfilling the objectives of the NYSC and I’ll want the state government to recognise his efforts and give him a befitting award.”
He, therefore, urged the the community to ensure the security and maintenance of the projects for their maximum benefits.
The Odofin of Imo, Adesina, said those proposing the scrapping of the NYSC scheme had been proved wrong by Williams’ gesture.
“I want to assure you that from today, the Community Development Association has taken over the projects fully. They are not government’s projects. they are our own projects and by God’s grace, we’ll secure and maintain them,” he said.
