I’ll not apologise for giving wheelbarrows to the poor – Ugwu

TRACKING>Transitional council chairman of Nsukka local government area, Mrs Chinwe Ugwu, has on no account would she tender any apology to anybody or group castigating her for giving out wheelbarrows to the indigent citizens of the council area who could not afford wheelbarrows but had to hire them.
The council boss Monday gave out 30 brand new wheelbarrows to some young men who hitherto hired them to eke out a living by carrying people’s goods on wheelbarrows.
Irked by what they described as unbefitting, a
youth empowerment programme, some individuals and groups have taken to different fora to lambast her for coming out with such empowerment programme which she called, “poverty alleviation.”
Ugwu stated in an interview with newsmen, Tuesday that she was not done yet as she had the intention to increase the number to 100.
“I don’t feel bad at all. I don’t see anything bad in what I have done. I have no apology for anybody. People who don’t understand what I have done can go ahead and say whatever they like. I even want to make it up to a hundred.
“These were poor people who could not afford to buy barrow but had to hire them for between N200 to N300.00 a day.
“Some youth came to me and pleaded on their behalf and I told them to go and write down the names of those barrow pushers that cannot afford to buy one.
” You need to see how happy they were that they now have their own barrow which was given to them free of charge. They were asked to write whatever they liked on the barrow because it now belonged to them.
“They were so happy that some of them came and touched me asking me, “Mayor, can we touch you?” You need to have seen them. It was as if they were seeing and touching Jesus. They were so happy and I have no apology. I’ll even do more. I heard that some labourers hire shovels and head pans for mason and concrete work. I’ll also buy head pans and shovels for them so that they can fend for their families.
“All my life, my heart has been going out for the poorest of the poor and you know that you have the poorest of the poor all over the world. Will you phase out barrow pushing because of Chinwe Ugwu?” she queried.