Among the projects listed are roads, health infrastructure, industrialisation, education, and employment of their youths which they described as development priorities facing them.
Some communities in Nike Clans in Enugu East senatorial district of Enugu State have listed a plethora of projects that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Peter Mbah, must agree to do for them before he can earn their support.
Among the projects listed are roads, health infrastructure, industrialisation, education, and employment of their youths which they described as development priorities facing them.
They also lamented the activities of land speculators, whom they said had made them poorer.
The communities gave the list of projects on Thursday, during town hall meetings with Mbah at Ugwogo Nike, Headquarters of Mbuluiyiukwu Development Centre and Emene, headquarters of Mbulujodo Development Centre both in Enugu East LGA.
Speaking, former Senator representing Enugu Senatorial Zone, Senator Gilbert Nnaji and a member representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Hon. Cornelius Nnaji, said the construction of the Ugwogo Nike-Agbogazi Nike-Ubahu-Owo Road would enhance rural access and catalyse socio-economic development of the area.
On their part, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Uwakwe regretted the absence of a secondary school or hospital for the people of the area.
He urged Mbah to help reduce the hardship of the people, while Rev. Fr. Chimezie Ani, who harped on the agricultural potential of Nike communities, urged the PDP governorship candidate to make the state an agricultural processing and marketing hub when elected.
A woman leader, Mrs. Helen Ugwuoko lamented a situation where women in labour have to travel to Enugu city to get medical attention in such emergency situations, hence resulting in many fatalities.
"There is no employment anywhere. Some of our graduates have spent over 15 years with us at home and the hardship is too much for us to bear," she stated.
The traditional ruler of Ogbeke Nike, Igwe Dennis Ekette called on Mbah to help bring the perennial water scarcity facing the rural communities of Nike to an end.
A community leader, Hon. Gab Onu called for the dualisation of Enugu-Opi-Nsukka Road, while a former lawmaker, Hon. Joseph Agbo, called for decisive action to end the menace of land speculators in Nike.
"We are supposed to be rich given our vast lands, but land speculators have made us poor. We want you to end this as well as the injustice done to our people in the Enugu State public service," he stressed.
On his part, the council chairman of Enugu East LGA, Hon. Livinus Anike, described Emene Nike as the industrial hub of Enugu State and called for an infrastructural renewal of the area.
He equally called on Mbah to prioritise the revitalisation of state-owned companies such as Sunrise Flour Mills, Emene.
Responding, Mbah assured the people that most of their needs were already captured in his manifesto.