ASABA – In the wake of the passing of Distinguished Senator Peter Onyelukachi Nwaoboshi, residents of Otolokpo are reflecting on a unique act of political benevolence that forever changed the landscape of their community.
While many remember the late Senator for his legislative prowess, a personal account shared by his former Media Director, Barrister Eugene Azuka Uzum, also known as EA Uzumnism Esq., has revealed how a declined personal gift paved the way for the town’s first major internal infrastructure project.
The story dates back to 2018, shortly after Nwaoboshi’s successful campaign. According to Uzumnism, the Senator summoned him to his Asaba residence to reward his hard work, discipline, and loyalty during the election cycle. The reward offered was a brand-new car.
In a rare move for a political aide, Uzumnism declined the vehicle. He said; “I told him, ‘Sir, I don’t need a car. I have three cars already,. I told him Otolokpo is in pain. We need a road. I pleaded, ‘Biko Diokpa, Otolokpo needs a road.”
The gap-toothed lawyer cum politician recounted “At the time, Otolokpo lacked functional internal roads. While the state government under then-Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had approved two roads for the area, work had yet to commence.
Despite initial hesitation from the Senator regarding the difficulty of securing such a project immediately, the persistent advocacy of his aide—and Nwaoboshi’s eventual intervention as Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC—yielded results.
Two months after the initial meeting, the request was granted. Through the collaborative efforts of the late Senator, Mr. Nelson Agbamuche, and PDP stakeholders like Mr. Moses Idu and Mr. Hillary Ibegbulem, the project now known as College Road was born.
Today, College Road stands as a testament to the Senator’s responsiveness to his constituents and the selfless negotiation of his staff. Locals report that the road remains “very much intact,” serving as a vital artery for the community.
“I stood my ground that it was a road for my dear Otolokpo people or nothing,” said Uzumnism. “That road is his legacy in our town.”
As the state mourns the loss of the veteran lawmaker, the people of Otolokpo maintain that his name has been “immortalized” not through posters or speeches, but through the very ground they walk on.
