OTAMPA: UPDATE ON THE RENEWED HOPE CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER LIST

By Nnabugwu Chinwoke

It is the belief in several quarters and among the development practitioners too that collective efforts are not only good but necessary and a fundamental requirement for development to occur meaningfully in any environment.

Development therefore will thrive where there is massive engagement and active participation of people, where recognition of both existing and new structures are promoted and condoned and timely and effective use of the relevant structures are made as the need arises.

In the effort to develop the rural communities the story is not different and should not be. Thus, the need for collective engagement and massive participation of people through the recognition and effective use of local community structures and massive deployment of both human and material resources for community good can never be over emphasized.

In view of the above, all efforts, interests and passion geared at rural development in any environment should be properly aggregated and channelled through effective use the local community structures. Programmes, Projects and Activities in the rural Communities whether initiated by the community or by an individual member of the community, or people from another community, or by international agencies, or any other body or groups working either in partnership or collaboration with any of the government Ministries, Department or Agencies (MDAs) or operating independently, the common denominator is benefit and impact to the community, and for the sake of sustainability the need to identify, recognize, embrace and work with the local community structures consistently is strongly advocated and underscored.

Taken cognizance of the above, a brief on the spot assessment was conducted in Otampa, Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Abia state by this Platform to ascertain the usefulness of local community structures, as well as observe how the Otampa community on one hand and the agents of the federal government carrying out an activity in Otampa used or relied on the well-established, existing, relevant and community approved local structures to drive their efforts at reaching out to Umu Otampa with relevant information about the recently released economic empowerment list that contained names of Umu Otampa as target beneficiaries of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) driven federal government’s people oriented, poverty reduction exercise, tagged the “Renewed hope conditional cash transfer. The report is presented below.

The report:

The list which was made available to us on the 17^th January 2024, showed an array of names from the different kindred in Otampa. Soon after the list was received efforts to contact the people whose name appeared in it commenced and continued to the next day 18^th January 2024, when we also went round Otampa, and equally reached out to some community stakeholders and target beneficiaries through phone calls and text messages.

Worthy of note is the action taken by the kindred heads in Ikpa Otampa who sprang into action immediately and pasted the list at strategic locations and positions, including the popular Ogwumabiri market square. This singular act of commitment and patriotism by the kindred heads in Ikpa Otampa apart from enabling the people to come out in their numbers to check their names in the list, bears huge testimony to how effective and reliable local community structures can be and the extent they can impact the development efforts of governments at various levels of governance.

Unfortunately, the target beneficiaries from the other kindred: Akoba, Amaogudu and Echiele, were completely at sea until they were contacted by this Platform. Some of the people that were contacted at Akala, Ali odoma, and Osuu, in Echiele, are, Jane Aguiyi, Emmanuel Orji, Elisha Iheonunaekwu, Obinna Ogor, etc. All said they knew nothing about the list.

When we contacted the home branch chairman of Echiele Development Union, Mr. Paul Nwankwo, he told us that the people would gather together when they see the officials around. But, when asked what the fates of those who have gone out without getting the information till the arrival day of the officials, he said the kindred heads had been informed.

Further findings reveal that the plan of the government officials is to visit Otampa on the 19^th of January 2024. They were scheduled to be at Ogwumabiri Market Square between 9am and 2pm and later in the afternoon of the same day relocate to Orie Ukwu Market Square where they were billed to resume activities around 2:30pm.

At the time of filing this report, Friday morning, 19^th January 2024 information had gone round reminding the people of the day’s activity and they were ready, waiting the arrival of the government officials.

The assessment is still on. Keep visiting and reading us and remember to tell us your view about the need to engage the local community structures, integrating them as an integral part of Nigerian’s development agenda.