Reps Member from Arochukwu/Ohafia Constituency Breaks Internet with Distribution of Bucket as Empowerment
A member of the House of Representatives representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa of the Labour Party (LP), has stirred public reactions after distributing plastic buckets to his constituents as part of an empowerment programme.
The event, which took place earlier this week in the Ohafia area, saw dozens of constituents receive branded plastic buckets, prompting mixed responses on social media and in local communities.
Osonwa, who was elected during the 2023 general elections on the wave of the Labour Party’s growing popularity, said the initiative was aimed at addressing basic household needs and promoting hygiene in the constituency.
“This is just one phase of our grassroots engagement. Empowerment does not always have to be grand to be impactful,” Osonwa said while addressing beneficiaries. “We are starting small and working towards more extensive interventions in education, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.”
However, critics have slammed the gesture as inadequate and symbolic of the broader disconnect between political leaders and the actual needs of the people. Some residents took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, questioning how plastic buckets would alleviate the economic hardship and unemployment many are facing.
A local civil society group, the Abia Accountability Forum, issued a statement describing the move as “an insult to the intelligence of the electorate,” urging elected officials to invest in more sustainable and meaningful development projects.
Others defended the lawmaker, noting that many rural communities still struggle with basic sanitary tools and that the gesture, though modest, should not be completely dismissed.
The development adds to the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of constituency projects and how best lawmakers can deliver value to their constituents in a country battling widespread poverty and infrastructural decay.
