RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ONICHA LGA OF EBONYI STATE

INTRODUCTION
Onicha is a local government area in Ebonyi state, Nigeria and situated in Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone. Onicha LGA is made up of six component towns which includes Oshiri, Abaomege, Onicha Igbeze, Ukawu, Ugwulangwu and Isu being the headquarters of the local government area. It has an area of 476Km2 and a population of 236,828 at the 2006 census.
The Onicha area is
considered to be one of the areas of Ebonyi state with high capacity to produce much of the food needed in the state because of the fertility of the soil.
Brief history of Onicha LGA
By 1960 when Nigerian gained political independence, the present Onicha local government area existed as a part of the Afikpo Country council.In 1961, Ohaozara (comprising the present Ohaozara and Onicha LGAs) became a separate administrative unit, but the Nigerian Civil war disrupted its separate existence. However, when Imo state was created in 1976, Ihaozara Local Government area became fully autonomous until the carving out of Onicha Local Government area in 1991. In 1996, Ebonyi was carved out from Enugu and Abia states and Onicha Local Government Area was embedded in the new Ebonyi state.
Development centres
In her bid to bring government closer to the people of the council area, Onicha local Government Areas instituted development centres. These development centres are located in:
1. Onicha Development Centre
2. Oshiri Development Centre
3. Eziokwua Development Centre
4. Onicha Latest Development Centre
5. Ukaba Development Centre
These centres are saddled with the responsibility of developing the areas assigned to them. Funds are made available to these centres and they are been used to make the people feel the dividends of democracy. Developmental projects are the embarked by the development centres.


RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ONICHA LGA
Projects had been embarked upon in the council area as regard development. These projects can be examined under the following perspectives;
 Education
 Health
 Infrastructure
 Sports
Agriculture
 Peaceful co-existence and maintenance of peace in the rural areas.

Education
Onicha local government area supported the state government on the state policy of free and compulsory primary school education down to junior secondary school in Ebonyi state. Nursery/primary schools were established at the headquarters and some other remote parts of the council area. Though the state still ranks high in the list of educational backward state, progress had been made in addressing it. The LGA engaged their workers in service training exercise ad approved study leave with pay for the staff who gained admission into institution of higher learning. Adult education centers were established in the rural area. The government of the Onicha LGA also distributed instructional materials, recruited teachers who are paid as and when due.

Health
Health care delivery services also received some attention Recommendation was given to the popular adage that “health is wealth” and “a health nation is a wealthy nation”. Health centers were built in villages where it were lacking and reconstructed the Onicha Igbeze General Hospital, which was formally in a bad shape for a very long time so as to improve the health situation of the inhabitants of the area. Equally the Health Centers were stocked with drugs and enough staff to administer the drugs. This tier of government intensified effort in the contral of epidermis diseases such as cholera, measles, chicken pox and guinea worm. Vaccines were administered against diseases like poliomyritis, cerebrospinal minigitis, yellow fever etc. The local government council instituted the local government Action Committee on Aids to complement the efforts of the state government to tackle the Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the grass root.

Infrastructural development
Roads and Bridges were constructed in rural areas to bring the dividends of democracy closer to the people. The road connecting Nteyi, Agba to Nkwo Agu Isu was constructed. The road hat joined Onicha Community with the neigbouring community of Okposi in Ohaozara Local Government Area was also constructed. Some roads that were not motorable were constructed such as the Ide River bridge. Ngeneoma Bridge at Agbaor, Ofokpu Bridge at Amanator Isu, Umuchima River bridge at Mgbaleze Isu, Gborigbo Bridge at Onicha, Amankwo bridge at Oshiri, Ochege bridge at Abaomege, Isinkwo bridge at Ukawu. The local government constructed about 750 culverts around the local government area including remote areas.

Sports
Sporting events also received a boost in Onicha Local government area. Inter-primary and post-primary school sports competitions were organized to enhance the performance of pupils and students who have developed interest in various sporting activities. Prizes were also awarded to those who performed creditably. This competition takes place annually.

Agriculture
The local government through the help of e Ministry of Agriculture distributed fertilizers to rural farmers to enhance food production and high yields. Recently, tractors were purchased and hired out to some farmers at subsidized rates to also aid in the production of food.

Settlement of dispute and maintenance of peace
Onicha Local Government maintained peaceful co-existence among rural communities and intervened in communal crisis and conflicts. The council settled case of boundary disputes between Mgbalankwu and Ojiegbe, Oshiri and Ezzama, Mgbaleze and Nkerefi, Agba and Agbarashe also recently helped to quench the unrest in Obeagu Anioma Isu among the inhabitants.

Next post will be on the Claw backs to rural development in ONICHA LGA.