It was Governor Hope Uzodimma who in his new year address at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church Ozuh Omuma that said, “without the intangible infrastructures the tangible infrastructures would not be achieved or sustained”. He further opined that most times like the foundation of a building that does not receive any form of aesthetic touch but lies underground holding the other parts of the building with lush beautification, admiration and praise, so it is for intangible infrastructures that go unnoticed, unrated, unadorned, without public admiration, yet they are the foundation that made the tangible infrastructures possible and sustainable.
Intangible infrastructure can be defined as the non-physical, knowledge-driven, and social systems that support economic and societal growth. And one of such critical examples of intangible infrastructure is community cohesion. Community cohesion as a vital infrastructure (intangible) refers to the ability of providing a governance mechanism that keeps communities within a single fold thereby reducing internal stress and tensions that are capable of snowballing into full blown communal crises and clashes that may claim lives and properties.
As one privileged to chronicle the litany of achievements and accomplishments of the Executive Chairman of Ideato South Local Government Area, who is popularly referred to as ‘Morocco’, I found it difficult to include some of the intangible infrastructures he has put in place especially in the area of community cohesion and social re-engineering because, the people will not appreciate it as an achievement as they would appreciate some tangible infrastructure, hence for the sake of media optics and to align with the perspective of the people I limited the list to include only tangible infrastructures and other intangible infrastructures that can be easily appreciated such as the employment of 140 casual workers for the local government and facilitation of employment of some good number of Ideato South youths in some notable agencies in Imo State.
However, I am compelled internally to enlighten us on the critical role of some intangible infrastructures like community cohesion so as to enable us appreciate the volume and depth of knowledge and other resources that were dissipated into achieving community cohesion in the 27 communities that make up Ideato South. ‘Morocco’ upon assumption of office inherited backlog of community based crisis some that have lasted for over half a decade. Crisis that have gotten to tipping point waiting to explode into a full blown crisis that would result to the loss of lives, properties and the breakdown of law and order.
‘Morocco’ has mitigated successfully over the community town union leadership crisis in Nneato-Ogwugwu Autonomous Community and for the first time in nearly half a decade, the people of Nneato-Ogwugwu could gather in their TownHall and hold leadership meetings and conferences as one body as against the fragmentation that existed afore times.’ Morocco’ made it Possible !
‘Morocco’ restored the very elusive lasting peace in Umuojisi Autonomous Community, a community that was in loggerheads over the town union leadership which left the community without a recognisable leadership. There were several factions laying claim to the leadership thereby undermining community cohesion in Umuojisi. When ‘Morocco’ like a messiah waved his magic wand on the Umuojisi leadership crisis, all the storms causing Incohesion in the community was calmed eternally. Now Umuojisi has returned back to the table of brotherly love and the community is moving to greater heights. ‘Morocco’ made it possible!
In Umulewe it was more like a miracle. The community was already in an irredeemable condition with regards to community cohesion. Several meetings that lasted for over 8hours on the stretch were called in ‘Morocco’s office. The community had very fierce factions laying claim to the leadership of the town union. During burials several tables were set up for several factions of the community’s town union. Community revenue were lost, as peace and cohesion became an alien in Umulewe. However just few months ago, the Umulewe people came in their numbers to meet ‘Morocco’ in his office and thank him for coming with the entire gamut of the local government into Umulewe where he addressed all the people of Umulewe and restored permanent peace in the community. That very day I recall that the women group gave ‘Morocco’ a symbolic gift of a live hen signifying that he has brought life back to Umulewe Autonomous Community. Today Umulewe is enjoying community cohesion, made possible by the mercurial ‘Morocco’.
Topmost of all in this achievement is that of Umuobom Ancient Kingdom. A kingdom under the rulership of three young and charismatic traditional rulers. These three kings ruled over three communities that currently make up the Obom Aruogu Ancient Kingdom, they include, Umuobom, Umuezedike and Umucheke. The tussle over the constitution of the popular ‘onugboguru’ cultural festival planning committee members tore the three traditional rulers into two with high powered letters containing very sensitive and peace threatening contents capable of causing chaos and bloodshed. But ‘Morocco’ intervened! He called the three traditional rulers into his office, with all the concerned stakeholders including the councillor of the ward. After about 12 hours marathon meeting that later broke into committee level, the three Traditional Rulers who hitherto came into the office of ‘Morocco’ in a warlike mood left the office as one unified entity straight to the palace of Eze Mbionwu, the Eze Gburugburu of Umuobom Ancient Kingdom and as one unit formally inaugurated the planning committee and held the festival in the most peaceful manner ever experienced in the history of Umuobom. Little wonder Eze Mbionwu in his first ofala festival held on the 2nd of January, 2026 installed ‘Morocco’ with a very significant and meritorious chieftaincy title of ‘Agu n’eme udo’ of Umuobom Ancient Kingdom(The Leopard or Lion that makes peace) in appreciation of the efforts he has put in place to bring peace and community cohesion to the communities in Ideato South Local Government Area.
Just as he was mandated by Governor Hope Uzodimma to go and restore peace in Ideato South, ‘Morocco’ has unarguably erected more intangible infrastructures in terms of community cohesion than any other known elected or appointed public servant in the history of Ideato South. This has contributed largely to the very visible community cohesion that exist in all the 27 Communities that comprises Ideato South Local Government.
Unegbu Victor-Wallace
Writes from Umuago-Esimoma Ancient Kingdom
