Controversy hits street naming exercise in Uba Umuaka.
3 min read
The street naming exercise which has commenced in Imo State in the recent weeks may most likely create a story of conflicting opinions among indigenes of several Imo communities especially in Njaba LGA. Recently, Umuaka Times took time to make some findings about the exercise and some new theories were discovered. In Uba Umuaka Autonomous Community, the executive board of the community led by Hon Kizito Duru, the president general of the community had some weeks ago, notified some prominent indigenes of the community on the need to name all the roads and streets within Uba Umuaka in preparation for the forthcoming census exercise. The community wholeheartedly, through its prominent sons and daughters accepted the program.
Umuaka Times learnt that some well-to-do sons and daughters of the community were contacted to pay some amount of money and have some streets named after them. Findings showed that some of them had already paid and some were also working towards making their own payments. As this was going on, Darlington Ojy Onwukwe, the publisher of Umuaka Times and a native of the community issued a press statement through a whatsapp voice note where he questioned the wisdom behind why someone would merely pay just between hundred and hundred and fifty thousand Naira and a street would be named after him for life. He argued that the amount was so poor and Uba as the “big boy” of Umuaka Municipal Council was not laying a good example for others by implementing such a program. He appealed to the community to review the standards and further suggested that for anyone to have a street named after him in the community, it would be that the person has done something extraordinary or he would pick a road and tar it and continue to maintain it.
Onwukwe further cited an example of what happened in the Umuaka decades ago. According to him, sometime ago in the 70s, when the road leading from Afor Umuaka to Amiyi village was renamed Chief Gworiwan Road Amiyi Umuaka, it was because the Chief, Leonard (Gworiwam) Okoro himself graded the road and put it in good shape. He also spoke about the Akajiaku Road Uba Umuaka which was graded by the late Chief Ben (Akajiaku) Okpara around 1982.
Onwukwe’ s voice was said to have gathered a deep momentum and people started to air their views in support of his advocacy. As it stands now, there is a need for all the communities in Njaba LGA to define in concrete terms, what qualifies someone to have a street named after him within the localities. Some people are of the view that the amount being paid looks very poor and must be reviewed upwards.
Today, many people have identified with Onwukwe’s position that anybody who feels that his name should be immortalized via a road or street in Umuaka must have done something extraordinary for humanity so that the community will appreciate him. Umuaka Times also got hint of the same exercise being done in other parts of Umuaka Municipal Council.
