The Enugu State Government has dismissed claims circulating in a viral video alleging neglect of Ugbene community in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area, clarifying that internal communal challenges within the community stalled a proposed water project rather than government inaction.

The clarification came from the Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), which explained that the planned intervention could not proceed due to unresolved disputes within the community and failure to meet participation requirements necessary for project execution.

According to the CSDA General Manager, the agency encountered significant resistance during sensitisation visits and Participatory Rural Appraisal sessions in Ugbene some years ago. He noted that disagreements among community members, including opposition from some youths, disrupted the process and ultimately prevented progress on the proposed water project.

The agency further stated that Ugbene community did not fulfill the required counterpart funding contribution — a standard prerequisite for benefiting from CSDA-supported projects. Additionally, the elected Community Project Management Committee reportedly failed to complete documentation and procedural steps required for approval of the Community Development Plan.

Despite the setback in Ugbene, the agency stressed that development initiatives have continued across Uzo Uwani LGA. A CSDA-assisted borehole currently serves Ugwugbene Ajima, part of the broader Ugbene community cluster, though located on higher terrain.

Beyond that area, several communities have benefited from water, sanitation, infrastructure, and electrification projects under CSDA-CARES and Additional Financing programmes. Benefiting communities include Nimbo, Ukpabi, Nkpunator Nkpologu, Ojjor, Ugwugbene Ajima, Nrobo, Asaba, and Iggah, among others, with interventions ranging from boreholes and sanitation facilities to electricity extensions, road projects, school infrastructure, and market development.

These projects, supported through partnerships involving the state government, federal initiatives, the World Bank, and NG-CARES programmes, reflect ongoing rural development efforts across the local government area.

The state government reiterated that CSDA projects are community-driven and depend on active participation, peaceful collaboration, and fulfillment of agreed obligations by beneficiary communities. Where these conditions are met, officials say projects are successfully delivered and sustained.

Observers have acknowledged that while concerns raised in the viral video reflect genuine water access challenges in some parts of Ugbene, portraying Uzo Uwani as neglected does not reflect the broader development activities currently underway.

Under Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s administration, rural infrastructure, potable water access, sanitation, and grassroots economic development remain key priorities. Officials maintain that ongoing projects across Uzo Uwani and other parts of Enugu State demonstrate a commitment to inclusive development.

The government also reaffirmed its willingness to engage communities constructively to ensure development initiatives reach all areas, urging stakeholders to embrace dialogue and structured participation to avoid setbacks in future interventions.