By MATTHEW OKORO, Umuahia

Jubilation and excitement filled the air last Saturday when a two-storey building was inaugurated and handed over to the Ata Igbo-Ukwu Umuzomgbo Ihechiowa Development Union (UDU), Aba Branch, for use as secretariat.

The magnificent edifice on No. 7 Nwogu by 71 Umule Road, Aba, was sngle-handedly built by a philanthropist of note and a prominent traditional ruler in Abia State, His Royal Highness, Eze Sir Linus Nto Mbah.

Eze Sir Linus Nto Mbah, the Eze Udo 1 of Ata Igbo-Ukwu Autonomous Community of Arochukwu local government area, said during the inauguration and dedication of the Civic Hall that his philanthropic gestures towards his kinsmen was geared towards boosting their morale in their quest to achieve peace, unity and development of their area.

The great philanthropist, an internationally successful businessman, said because God has blessed him, he has resolved to use resources at his disposal to add value to the lives of people.

The Ata Igbo-Ukwu monarch who is also the Patron of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abia State Council, promised to continue to do more for the good of society.

The Aba Branch UDU Chairman, Clement Eni Ulu, nicknamed Eze Mba “the Joshua of our time,” for helping the union to realize its dream of having a permanent secretariat in the commercial city of Aba.

Going down memory lane, Ulu told the gathering that UDU, Aba Branch, came into being in 1972, after the Nigerian civil war and in 1995, the group organized a fund raiser, proceeds of which was used to buy the plot of land where the building was now standing.

He recalled that it was during a reception organized by the Union in honour of their revered traditional ruler on September 11, 2020, that Eze Mbah “made a promise to build this hall single-handedly within three months, a promise fulfilled.”

“We, of Umuzomgbo Development Union, Aba Branch call him the Joshua of our time because he took us into the Promised Land (the hall) after all our other leaders and chairmen collectively acted as Moses who brought us out of Egypt since 1972,” Ulu said.

According to the Aba Branch UDU Chairman, the Branch was in dire need of a hall where they could hold their meetings which were hitherto rotated on monthly basis and held in private houses or hired venues such as schools.

Chairman of the occasion and the House of Representatives member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Uko Nkole, commended Eze Mbah for the feat and praised UDU for their vision.

Nkole who charged the people to ensure peace in their Iheciowa community, promised to always support them in their developmental strides.

Amidst fanfare, jubilation and excitement, the hall was dedicated by the Catholic Bishop of Aba Diocese, His Lordship, Most Rev. Prof. Augustine Echema, who was also saddled with the responsibility of decorating Eze Mbah by UDU, among other presentations made to the traditional ruler by the elated UDU executive.

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