An empowerment program purportedly geared at alleviating poverty has led to the anger of selected youths in Nsukka local government area of Enugu state.
The Transition Committee Chairman of the local government, Hon. Mrs. Chinwe Ugwu had rolled out a wheelbarrow empowerment programme tagged: “Nsukka Local Government Area in Conjunction with National Council of Enugu State Students, Presents a Poverty Alleviation Outreach.”
Mrs Chinwe on Monday personally flagged-off the scheme and handed over the wheelbarrows to the beneficiaries.
This development didn’t go down well with youths of the area who described her move as ‘shocking and disrespectful’.
One youth, Chikezie Omeje said “this is an insult too many. How can a council chairman give out wheelbarrows on hire-purchase basis? She did not just ridicule our people but mocked our sensibilities.
“We demand immediate apology from her for this show of shame.”
According to reports, stakeholders in the area had advised the chairman against the wheelbarrow empowerment, but the council boss went ahead with it.
The said youths of Nsukka had last week besieged the Nsukka Local Government secretariat in protest, chanting solidarity songs in the chairman’s favour, condemning the immediate past chairman, Hon. Patrick Omeje consequently.
According to the protesting youths, Ugwu should be allowed to contest as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the forthcoming election.
Chinwe Ugwu is one of the chairmen that were appointed last December, ahead of the Local Government election slated for February this year.
