Residents of several communities in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State have described Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as a lawmaker whose impact they have felt through road projects and other interventions across their communities.
The residents spoke on Friday when Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, continued his ward-to-ward tour of Ohafia, visiting Abia Ohafia, Akanu, Ndi Uduma Awoke, Isiugwu and Army Barracks Ward.
At Abia Ohafia, residents recalled Kalu’s role in attracting the construction of a road in the community, describing the project as one of the visible dividends of his representation.
Similar testimonies were given at Akanu, where residents pointed to a road project attracted to the area by the senator. Residents of Ndi Uduma Awoke and Isiugwu also highlighted road interventions in their communities as they received Kalu and his entourage.
Speaking during the engagements, community leaders and residents, including Elder Idika Mba, Arch. Ugbe Kalu and Mrs Elizabeth Ojah, said the senator’s projects had given communities practical reasons to assess his representation.
Elder Mba said residents could point to physical projects executed during Kalu’s tenure, particularly roads that had improved access to communities.
“We are talking about what we can see in our communities. These roads are here, and our people use them every day. That is why we say we have felt the presence of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as our representative,” he said.
Arch. Kalu said the senator’s frequent engagement with constituents was also important, noting that representation should involve both attracting development and maintaining direct contact with the people.
“For us, representation should not end in Abuja. Our representative should come home, listen to the people and bring development closer to them. We have seen projects, particularly roads, and we want more of them,” he said.
Mrs Ojah, who also spoke during the tour, said residents appreciated interventions that had a direct impact on their daily lives.
“When a road is constructed in your community, everybody benefits from it. Our farmers, traders, children and families use these roads. We appreciate what has been done, and we are asking that more should be done for our communities,” she said.
Addressing the gatherings, Kalu explained that some of the roads attracted to Abia North were originally classified under Category D road projects and had very limited funding provisions.
According to him, the initial scope of some of the projects was essentially the grading of rural and farm roads, but through his intervention, the scope was expanded and some of the roads were eventually tarred.
“Some of these roads were Category D projects with very little funding. The original idea was basically to grade farm roads, but we pushed and intervened to ensure that some of them were tarred. We will continue to push for more projects and also work towards the completion of the existing ones,” Kalu said.
The former Abia State governor said the ward-to-ward tour was an opportunity to give an account of his stewardship and hear directly from constituents about areas requiring further government intervention.
He thanked the people for their reception, assuring them that he would continue to use his position and contacts to attract federal projects to communities across the senatorial district.
The senator was accompanied on the tour by top chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, including the APC candidate for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Chief Ikenna Ukwa; House of Assembly candidate, Destiny Uchechukwu; APC leader, Chief Uche Ogboso; State Chairman of the OUK Movement, Hon. Ojisi Sunday Ogbaja; Coordinator of the Tripartite Movement, Prince Emma Nwosu; former council chairman, Barr. Emeka Kalu, PhD; and former lawmaker, Chief Mba Ukaha, among other party leaders and supporters.
The APC leaders, who addressed supporters at different stops during the tour, pledged to mobilise across Ohafia and deliver the local government area for the party in the 2027 general election.
Kalu, who has represented Abia North in the Senate since 2019, is seeking another term in the upper legislative chamber.
