In this piece, Abba-Eku Onyeka, our anchorman, ex-rays Senator Tony Nwoye, the senator representing Anambra North, of Anambra State’s performance in his senatorial district and thinks that he deserves to be reelected to continue his good works. Excerpts.
When Senator Tony Okechukwu Nwoye walked into the 10th Senate, he carried with him a reputation built as a former NANS president and a message simple enough for every village meeting in Anambra North: he was going to Abuja to bring projects home, not to sell them.
Nearly halfway into his term, that promise is being tested against roads, classrooms, markets, clinics, water projects, lights, and skills programs spread across the seven local governments of Anambra North. The verdict emerging from the communities is that the district has seen a scale of constituency delivery rarely matched in a single tenure.
The most visible mark is on roads. Over 25 road projects, completed or ongoing, cut across Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Ogbaru, Oyi, Ayamelum, Anambra East, and Anambra West. In Onitsha, Fighter Estate Road 3-3, Belewa Street, Uzodinma Street, and Nise Road have been rehabilitated, easing movement in densely populated areas.
Within tertiary institutions, Nwoye secured dual carriageways for Shanahan Catholic University at Trans Nkisi GRA, Onitsha, and University on the Niger, Umunya, Oyi LGA. For students and staff, the intervention has reduced traffic bottlenecks and improved safety.
Rural roads have not been ignored. Anambra West recorded its first-ever asphalted road inside Umueze Anam. Ayamelum LGA got a road with double drainage leading to Omor Ward 3 community town hall, while Ozeh Nkwelle Ezunaka Road in Oyi LGA was rehabilitated with the same drainage system to address perennial flooding.
Ogbaru and Anambra East also benefited. Roads in Iyiowa Odekpe, covering Abazuonu, Ihitenasa, Ibekwe, and Acha streets, were reconstructed. In Aguleri, Nebo Road and Akorah Street were rehabilitated, and Umuanaevili Road, Eziafo Road in Igbariam, and Ugwuasa Road in Nsugbe received dual drainage systems.
The focus on infrastructure extends to economic hubs. At Slaughter Market opposite Army Gate in Onitsha North, 23 lock-up shops were built with a solar-powered borehole, overhead tanks, and toilets. Okolonji Street got 20 similar shops, while Otuocha Market in Anambra East is receiving 100 lock-up shops with toilet facilities.
Market development is also ongoing at Afia Ilo Market, Nsugbe, and fresh fruit open market stalls have been constructed in Okpoko, Ogbaru. For thousands of petty traders, these projects directly affect daily income and working conditions.
Community infrastructure has received attention too. A modern community hall and computer training building was built for Okotie Iyiowa Odekpe in Ogbaru. A community market is underway in Umali Akanator Omor Junction, Ayamelum, while ICT training buildings for youths are being constructed in Aguleri and Nteje.
Education infrastructure has been a clear priority. A six-classroom block was built at Unity School Okpoko, Ogbaru. Several secondary schools, including Modebe Secondary School Onitsha, Ezi Anam Secondary School, St. Joseph Secondary School Atani, and Madonna Secondary School Umueri, have been rehabilitated.
The administrative block of Metropolitan Secondary School Onitsha has also been remodeled. For a district with a large school-age population, these interventions address overcrowding and poor learning environments.
Health care at the grassroots is being strengthened. Primary health care centres in Nsugbe and Ikem Nando were rehabilitated, while new centres are under construction in Umuanuwa Ezi Nteje and inside the Church of Pentecost Anglican Communion in Onitsha South.
Water and power interventions are spread across the zone. Solar boreholes have been drilled in Okpoko Ward 5, Awkuzu, and Ikenga Umueri. High-capacity solar streetlights are being installed across all communities in Anambra West, East, Ayamelum, Oyi, and Ogbaru, with specific streets in Fegge, Onitsha South, also covered.
The lighting projects extend to Fegge Police Station, Creek Road, Balonwu Street, and other commercial and residential streets. For traders and residents, the lights have improved security and extended business hours into the night.
Agriculture and livelihood support form a distinct pillar. A fish farm and poultry clusters with a training centre were built at Ojilibuota Abata Nsugbe for young farmers. Mini rice processing machines with destoning components were provided for farmers in the Ayamelum axis.
Twenty boats were distributed to fishermen, and a marine ambulance was provided for emergencies on the waterways. For riverine communities, these interventions address both economic survival and safety.
Housing support for indigent citizens has been rolled out across the district. Two-bedroom houses have been built and handed over in Umuchioke Ndiagu Ifite Ogbunike, Ikenga Anaku, Umueragu Anaku, Ezenri Amagu Nsugbe, Udabo Otuocha Umueri, and Umutu quarters Umuikwu Anam.
Skills acquisition and empowerment programs have reached thousands. Over 13,000 constituents were empowered at a cash empowerment program at All Saints Cathedral Field, Onitsha, in January 2024. Training covered carpentry, bricklaying, fashion design, health care provision, e-marketing, and forex trading.
Participants received equipment and cash stipends for start-ups. Generators, laptops, refrigerators, yam grinding machines, and cassava grinding machines were also distributed to selected beneficiaries across the district.
The spread of these interventions reflects a deliberate attempt to balance urban and rural needs. Onitsha’s markets and streets are being upgraded, while riverine communities in Anambra West and Ayamelum are getting roads, boats, and agricultural support.
Nwoye’s background as a student leader appears to shape his focus on youth training and ICT. The ICT training buildings, e-marketing programs, and forex training are designed to link education with employability in a digital economy.
Constituents describe the approach as “purposeful representation.” The argument is that Nwoye went to the Senate with a checklist of community needs and worked to site projects across all LGAs, rather than concentrating them in one area.
Critics may point to projects still marked ongoing, such as Bida Road rehabilitation and some health centres. But the volume of completed work provides a tangible basis for assessment, especially in a zone that has long complained of neglect.
The case for reelection rests on continuity. Stopping mid-way risks stalling ongoing projects and breaking the momentum of a district-wide development plan that touches roads, schools, markets, clinics, water, lights, housing, and skills training.
For voters in Anambra North, the question in 2027 will be whether to retain a senator who has demonstrated the capacity to lobby and deliver, or to start over with a new representative. The record suggests continuity offers the surer path to completion.
Senator Nwoye’s tenure has also shown an understanding that representation goes beyond motions and debates. Constituency projects, when well-targeted, change the daily lives of traders, farmers, students, and patients.
In a political environment where many lawmakers focus on Abuja visibility, Nwoye’s emphasis has been on grassroots visibility. That is why the projects are spread across towns, markets, schools, and riverine communities.
If re-elected, the expectation is that ongoing projects will be completed and new ones extended to communities yet to benefit. The groundwork laid in the first half of the tenure provides a foundation for deeper impact.
Ultimately, elections are about trust built on performance. In Anambra North, the evidence on the ground gives voters something concrete to weigh. Roads have been tarred, schools rehabilitated, markets built, clinics upgraded, and youths trained.
For a district that has often felt left behind, that record makes a strong case for allowing Senator Tony Nwoye to continue the work. The need for his reelection, many argue, is not about sentiment but about finishing what has been started.
