By Nosa Omorodion
In an exercise that may perhaps be considered the highpoint of his decade long commitment to philanthropy and grassroots community development, Hon. Pius Alile between June 22 and June 27, 2023, embarked on the commissioning of nine borehole water projects he constructed free of charge for nine communities in the seven local government areas of Edo South Senatorial District. And deriving from this lofty gesture, the like of which is yet to be seen executed in recent time by a private individual in Edo South, the President and founder of the Pius Alile Coalition Initiative – PACI, Hon. Pius Alile was in the same breadth christened: The Street Governor.
Meanwhile, on the inspiration behind his focus on community water projects, Hon. Pius Alile had this to say:
“We have been doing borehole installation over the past 10 years, for the communities where collective enjoyment is encouraged. Water does not know tribe; it doesn’t know age. It is a facility that everyone can enjoy. That is why we have been doing it over the past ten years.”
Hon. Alile’s dutiful and supportive wife, Dr. Mary Alile, who was with him all through the commissioning tour, corroborated thus:
“The water projects that we do is for the whole community, and everybody will benefit. Whether you are rich or poor, old or young, you can come to fetch. It’s what we love to do. We love to put smiles on people’s faces.”
The commissioning took three days. Four of the projects were commissioned on the first day at three locations in Oredo and Egor Local Government Areas. The first point of call was the New Benin Market Community, Oredo Local Government Area, where the honour of the tape cutting fell on Hon. Lawrence Okah, the Edo State Secretary of the APC. Hon. Okah as well as the community leaders and inhabitants thanked Hon. Alile for the kind gesture. The second point of call was the Uwelu Auto Parts Market in Egor Local Government Area where Hon. Gentleman Amegor did the commissioning amidst eulogies and prayers from the leaders of the market community. The third point of commissioning, also in Egor Local Government Area, was Oghede Ivbioba Community, where Chief Emmanuel Iyase, Egor LGA APC Chairman cut the tape. The last point of call was Ukpera Community in Egor Local Government Area. The commissioning was undertaken by Mr. Murphy Owie, the Egor APC Ward 2 Chairman.
The following day, the commissioning party visited three locations in Ovia North East, Ikpoba Okha and Uhunmwode Local Government Areas respectively. On hand to do the commissioning on behalf of the Pius Alile Coalition Initiative was a distinguished guest, Sen. Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, former Governor of Edo State. The communities where the boreholes were commissioned are namely: Wood Market, Oluku; Tomatoes Market, Aduwawa; and Cattle Market, Eyaen. At this places, highly elated beneficiaries sang the praises of Hon. Pius Alile even as they prayed for him.
The last day of the commissioning was the 27th of June. On this day, the commissioning party, led still by Hon. Pius Alile with his wife Dr. Mary, visited Evbodobian, the home of Dr Mary Alile, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, and Iguobazuwa in Ovia South West Local Government Area. The reception accorded Hon. Alile and his party in these communities was no less different from what they had experienced in places they had earlier been to commission the Pius Alile Water Boreholes under the aegis of the Pius Alile Coalition Initiative. At Evbodobian, a former Orhionmwon Local Government Council Chairman and Edo State Representative on the NDDC, Hon. Saturday Uwuilekhue Idehen did the commissioning. At Iguobazuwa, Hon. Pius Alile personally performed the tape cutting ritual.
Although, many persons have come to see Hon. Pius Alile’s week of nine borehole commissioning, which was preceded by a six-million-naira bursary disbursement to 60 students of tertiary institutions, as awesome, the uncommon philanthropist and “Street Governor” has said that this is just the beginning of greater things to come from him and his Charity Organization. He has promised to expand his scope of execution beyond the boundaries of Edo South, to all parts of Edo State. And to this promise, many eyes look forward in great expectation.