NJOKU MACDONALD OBINNA
There are moments when development does not arrive with fanfare or policy papers, but with asphalt, drainage and quiet resolve. One such moment unfolded on Thursday, 8th January, 2026, in Ezinifite, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, where a five-kilometre stretch of road with drainage system and streets solar lights, built not by government contract but by personal conviction, was commissioned by His Excellency, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR.
The multi- billion Naira road project was single-handedly built by no less a personality than Aguata illustrious son— High Chief Sir Dr. Amb. Anthony Ikenna Obele (7 Star General ), an industrialist, uncommon philanthropist, and respected community leader— whose intervention has altered both the physical landscape of his hometown and the conversation around leadership in Anambra State.
In a time when infrastructure is often delayed by bureaucracy and politics, the Ezinifite road stands as a counter-narrative: proof that development can be accelerated when private conscience meets public need. Fully tarred, properly drained, and linking Aku village to neighbouring communities, the road immediately solves a problem residents had lived with for decades, difficult access, disrupted trade, and daily inconvenience.
What gives the project added weight is not just its scale, but its symbolism. This is a road located within the governor’s own axis, commissioned not as a favour, but as an acknowledgment. Governor Soludo did not merely cut a ribbon; he used the moment to underline a governing philosophy that has become increasingly clear under his administration, that development must be a shared responsibility.
“At the speed we need to move, government alone cannot achieve development,” the governor said, calling on Ndi Anambra, at home and in the diaspora, to reinvest in their roots. His message was not rhetorical. It was a recognition of what had already been done.
Chief Obele’s intervention fits squarely into the Public-Private-Community Partnership framework the Soludo Administration has been encouraging. Yet, beyond policy language, the road reflects something more personal: a man answering a call to home, not with speeches, but with concrete action. Indeed, Okwunze Aguata is a man of few words but with loaded actions of developmental giant stride.
For residents of Ezinifite, the road is more than infrastructure. It is relief. It is access. It is dignity restored. Traders move with ease, vehicles no longer struggle through erosion-scarred paths, and daily life now flows with less friction. The Traditional Ruler and community leadership described it as a turning point, a signal that progress does not always have to wait for Abuja or Awka.
Chief Obele himself was measured in his remarks. He spoke not of sacrifice, but of responsibility. Leadership, he suggested, should be judged not by titles and wealth accumulated, but by problems solved. His confidence that “this is just the beginning” sounded less like a promise and more like a statement of intent.
In commissioning the road, Governor Soludo made an unusual but telling declaration: “Once you do this kind of thing, call me, I’ll be there to commission it.” It was a line that captured the spirit of the moment. Leadership recognising leadership. Service affirming service. Olu Atuegwu, Governor Charles Soludo , meeting another Olu Atuegwu, Chief Ikenna Obele; a perfect meeting of development- driven likeminds.
The five kilometres of road in Ezinifite may not be the longest in Anambra State, but it carries a weight that extends far beyond its length. It tells a story of what becomes possible when individuals stop waiting for government and government, in turn, honours initiative.
In a state known for its enterprising sons and daughters, the Ezinifite road sends a quiet but powerful message: development begins the moment someone decides that their community deserves better, and acts on it.
The 7 Star General, Okwunze Aguata, Ife ndi Ezinifite- High Chief Dr. Amb. Anthony Ikenna Obele— has made a bold statement, making history as the first illustrious son of Aku village in Ezinifite community —to host the state governor in his country home, not just with bottles of champagne but rather with a landmark road project.
–Njoku Macdonald Obinna, an eye witness reporter and award-winning media personality.
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