August Meeting Series 2026 – Episode 2: Umuguma
Recently, on August 5, 2026, I attended an August meeting organised by Ndom Obiwuruotu (Home&Abroad), Umuguma.
It was a great pleasure to be with them.
From the moment I arrived, I felt completely at home. In many ways, being in Umuguma reminded me of my own hometown, Emeabiam.
One of the reasons for that feeling is the strong relationship I have built with the community through my Director-General, Prince Joseph Nwosu-Okorie, an illustrious son of Umuguma. He is a focused, disciplined, and committed young man whom this community should be proud of. Through our association, Umuguma has benefited from several humanitarian interventions undertaken by the Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu Foundation and BEMORE Empowered Girls Foundation.
For instance, we supported community policing by donating motorcycles and providing funds to strengthen local security efforts. Through Widows Alert Nigeria, many widows in Umuguma have also benefited from welfare support. In addition, girls from Umuguma have participated in the annual BEMORE Summer Bootcamp in Ibadan, where they receive intensive training in STEM, entrepreneurship, leadership, and life skills. At the end of the programme, every participant goes home with a brand-new laptop and a home solar system to continue learning, improve her digital skills, and prepare for opportunities in today’s technology-driven economy.
These interventions were not made because I held an elective office. They were made because I believe in service. Imagine what more can be achieved with the mandate and resources that come with representing our people in the House of Representatives.
That is why one of the eight pillars of my blueprint is Security and Peacebuilding. Security is the foundation of development. No community can prosper where fear has replaced freedom and where criminals operate without consequence.
Only last week, a family of seven from Okpuala Emeabiam, returning to Owerri after attending a burial ceremony, was kidnapped along the Okpuala Emeabiam–Okolochi – Ihiagwa Road. That unfortunate incident once again exposed the security gaps within the axis. The absence of a police post and regular patrols has created an environment where kidnappers operate with alarming ease.
This is why I disagree with those who claim that deploying drones alone has solved our security challenges in Owerri West. Technology is important, and drone surveillance can support intelligence gathering, but drones do not arrest kidnappers, rescue victims, or reassure frightened residents. Effective security requires the human element.
What our communities need is a combination of modern technology and visible policing. We need well-equipped police officers working in close partnership with local vigilantes and community policing structures. That synergy will provide rapid response, intelligence sharing, deterrence, and sustained protection for our people. Security cannot be outsourced to gadgets alone; it requires committed men and women on the ground.
As I seek your support to represent Owerri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, I ask you to judge me by my antecedents. I have supported communities, empowered widows, invested in our girls, and contributed to community security without occupying an elective office. If given the opportunity to serve, I will do even more because my commitment has always been to the people.
Together, we can build communities where our people live without fear, where women thrive, where young people have opportunities, and where development is not a promise but a reality.
Thank you, and may God bless Umuguma, Owerri West, and Owerri Federal Constituency.
–Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu (Ada Owere 1), Labour Party Candidate for House of Representatives, Owerri Federal Constituency.
