The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Imo

  • Imo, three years after

    Imo, three years after

    Three years after he was elected governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha stood before the people and presented his scorecard. The crowd seemed to like it, some climbing  over others to catch a glimpse of their governor.

    Accompanied by his Deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, his wife  Nneoma, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu, members of the Executive Council, Okorocha gave his audience an in-depth account of his ‘Rescue Mission Agenda’ which he initiated on assumption of office.

    As early as 7.30 in the morning Imo residents across all political and social divide had converged at the newly built International Conference Centre, where they waited patiently for several hours to hear what the governor had to say, most importantly if he was going to re-contest.

    Appearing later, the governor, clad in a white safari, had a hectic time wading through the  charged crowd as he stopped to acknowledge greetings from various groups who competed to be noticed.

    Speaking in an emotion-laden  voice; the Imo Governor recalled the circumstances that brought him to power in 2011 describing it as “unusual circumstances”.

    He said that his emergence was made possible by the poor masses of the State who were yearning for a godly leader to deliver them from the evil leadership of the past.

    The governor said, “I took an oath to touch the lives of the people of my state with the help of God; and I do what I do not for monetary gain nor to be re-elected but to have my name written in the history of the state as a leader who had great impact on the lives of the people and development of Imo State. I remain indebted to you”.

    He explained that the state in the last three years had received the sum of N168,495.00 billion as statutory allocation from the Federal Government, which he said was prudently managed to fund the free education programme from primary to university level as well as provided the much needed dividends of democracy to Imo people.

    Okorocha who was intermittently interrupted by thunderous ovations from the crowd, pointed out that his administration was able to record the unprecedented achievements within the short period due to sacrifices made by him and members of his team.

    He said, “the first thing I did after I was sworn-in as Governor was to forfeit my security vote, which was over N2 billion annually so that we can fund the free education programme and other development projects. I did all that because I believe that you have no business in leadership if you can’t make sacrifices.

    “Another thing I did that brought us this far was to get a four-year budget from the state House of Assembly which allowed to implement a four year action plan without running into any kind of hitches.

    “Again, because I was in a hurry to develop the state, we shelved what people call due process, which in the actual sense is an enhanced form of corruption that slows down and frustrates development projects. We also blocked all loopholes where public funds were previously siphoned and this helped us to save a lot of money for capital projects”.

    The governor listed some of the achievements made within three years in office to include; over 1,000km asphalted rural roads, construction and dualisation of city roads, construction of five inland bridges to link the old and new Owerri and the reconstruction of the Government House.

    Others were the construction of Owerri City School, 305 primary school buildings in the rural areas and the degree awarding College of Health Technology at Orlu, the Odenigbo Guest House, Akachi Towers, the Imo European University, Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies, 27 new General Hospitals, Young Scientist College, and the Centenary Towers, among others.

    He added further that the state government has transformed Okigwe and Orlu into new cities as well as developed more new cities to make Imo a one-city State.

    The governor maintained that one of the greatest achievements of his administration was the establishment of the Community Government Council (CGC) which he said will unlock the hidden potentials in the rural communities.

    He pointed out that with the cooperation of all security agencies in the state, kidnapping and other criminal activities have reduced drastically, adding that the daily 12 noon prayer has attracted the presence of God to make these achievements possible.

    On whether he was to contest for second term as governor or run for the presidential position under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, the governor declared that his decision would depend on the wishes of the masses in both the state and in the nation.

    He re-stated that he has no intentions of leaving APC as alleged by the opposition and urged Nigerians to continue to support the Party that assures needed changes in Nigerian leadership.

    In his speech, the Deputy Governor said that the Okorocha’s administration had delivered beyond its campaign promises, adding that the achievements recorded within the last three years was a mockery of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) 12 years administration in the state.

    He said, “Today I can beat my chest and walk tall in the state because the Rescue Mission Agenda is a huge success, which had returned the state to the part of greatness. Governor Okorocha had broken the enviable records set by late Dee Sam Mbakwe just under three years. It sounds impossible that over 1000 projects were initiated by this administration and almost all of them are completed”.

    In his contribution, the Speaker commended Governor Okorocha for the giant strides made within the three years of his administration, attributing it to the cooperation and cordial relationship that existed between the Legislature and the Executive.

    He thanked Imo people for making the needed sacrifice to ensure that Imo is put on the part of progress, while appealing to all the political parties in the State to work towards the common good of the Imo masses, as he assured the continuous support of the Legislators.

    The Speaker also enjoined the governor to consider a second-term bid in order to consolidate on the achievements made in the areas of free education and infrastructural transformation of the State, adding that, “the reward for good work is more work”.

    The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, hailed Okorocha’s prudent management of the state resources, which he said had been deployed to better the lot of the poor masses of the state.

    Ekechi pointed out that most of the critical projects including the inland bridges were executed at a far lesser amount than what was obtained during the PDP administration.

    He said, “the people of the state indeed have something to celebrate because this administration has done so much to deliver the dividends of democracy, even though the government is not making noise about its achievements, the evidence are there, the projects are verifiable unlike during the PDP era when projects only existed on billboards, pages of newspapers and internet”.

    An octogenarian, Sir Michael Emelumba, who was at the conference centre, declared that, “since after the administration of Mbakwe, this is the only time Imo State is having a responsible government. I came out today to show support for the Rescue Mission Agenda, which had woken the patriotic spirit in all of us.

    “What has happened in Imo State in the last three years has justified the people’s decision to throw out the PDP’s administration, which had mismanaged the state resources for 12 years. I and other likeminded senior citizens are urging the Governor to seek reelection to consolidate on his achievements”.

    Present at the occasion were national leaders of the APC including, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Alhaji Bello Masari, Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Timipre Sylva, Chief Lawal and APC National Women Leader, Sharon Ikeazu.

  • Jobs hopes for Imo youths

    Jobs hopes for Imo youths

    Over 400 youths from Imo State gathered at the Links Hotel, Owerri, on May 17 for a workshop on entrepreneurship. The workshop was part of the activities lined up for the formal inauguration of the Chuka Odom Foundation, a non-governmental organisation established by Chief Chuka Julius Odom, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE reports.

    The presence of several prominent personalities from Imo State, among them the erudite scholar and social communicator, Professor Anya O. Anya, who led two other scholars, Professor Placid Njoku, former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State and now President, the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science as well as Mr. Ugochukwu Omeogu, Principal Partner of Lagos-based Joseph Consulting and Marketing Limited, added colour to an event meant to give Imo youths a new sense of direction.

    Coming against the backdrop of the clamour for the teeming unemployed Nigerian youths to drop their search for white collar jobs, and be job creators, the workshop presented the participants with a guideline for developing the right attitude towards self employment.

    The workshop had a single mandate- to bridge the “skills gap,” which experts say, is principally responsible for the mass unemployment in the country and it succeeded in priming the youths to fill this gap. The former Minister, Chief Odom, who was one of the facilitators, gave a simple definition of “skills gap” to mean “the difference between skills required for a job or venture versus skills possessed by a prospective worker.” He said one of the major causes of the massive unemployment is that majority do not possess the skills needed for the jobs that are available.

    Participants located the initial problem to be some youths considering the available jobs as “menial” and far below their academic attainments. The workshop agreed that whereas young university undergraduates in the Southeast find it difficult to learn skills for trades like auto mechanics and electrical, building and construction technology, electronic and electrical installations, barbing and hair salons, farming etc, these vocations remain quite popular in the area and skills on them in great demand.

    One of the resource persons, Professor Njoku, put the matter in proper perspective when he posed some rhetorical questions before the youths: “What did you read in school? What are doing now? What would you like to do? What skills other than formal college certificate training do you have?” Professor Njoku pointed out that this mismatch of “possessed skills” and “required skills” has led to what he described as “wasting energy” among young people as a result of which there now exist pervasive social vices, human capital loss and economic losses.

    Njoku then brought in the experiences of other countries on this matter and what they did to tackle the problem. In countries like Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, India and China, he told the audience,

    the problem was tackled in three major ways: retuning the capacity of unemployed youths and under-employed adults; changing of school curricula from single academic model to dual academic model (academic and vocational models); guided enrolment in favour of the Dual Model. In Germany and Brazil, for example, the guided Dual Model was as follows: 30 per cent academic; 70 percent vocational and in Brazil 32 percent academic, 68 percent vocational.

    Njoku pointed out that the result of the dual model was that while the Academic Mode led to 4 – 8 per cent unemployment, the vocational model led to as low as 0 – 1 per cent unemployment.

    He said it may take governments in Nigeria some time to effect the necessary changes in the school curricula for these models to be in place.

    In the meantime, the problem will continue to mount. This is where organisations like the Chuka Odom Foundation come in. According to the former Minister of State, the foundation intends to approach its programme for fighting mass unemployment through two major prongs, namely, graduate up-skilling and technical and vocational apprenticeship. Here, the organisation, according to Chief Odom, “shall adopt world class competency modelling” among which are the following steps: competency mapping, skills gap analysis, skills development and competency monitoring.

    The ultimate objective of the intervention, Odom says, will be to prepare the youths for entrepreneurship and wealth creation. “We believe that entrepreneurship in itself can drive employment through innovation and creation of ventures that provide avenues for further

    employment and birth of new industries…”, Odom told the participants.

    Njoku agrees. “Skills training, entrepreneur development and management training for capacity re-tuning gives young people an alternative life sustaining career,” he told the audience. Njoku, who

    supervised the Federal Governments’ “Out-of-School Boy Child Project,” in the Southeast and Southsouth a few years ago, then put it more succinctly before the youths who listened with rapt attention: “…It’s important for each of us to map out a personal survival strategy. The most viable and respectful survival strategy is to embrace entrepreneurship,” Njoku told the youths.

    Management whizkid and motivational speaker, Ugochukwu Omeogu, himself a youth, gladdened the hearts of the participants a great deal with his presentation which, while harping on the imperatives of retuning, gave practical examples with his personal experiences.

    He gave the rather hilarious story of his having to learn American phonetics, when he newly arrived in the U.S, in order to enhance his skill for job searching. In a rather touchy account, Ugochukwu who walks on crutches, told his fellow youths that with a degree from a Nigerian University, nobody gave him any chance of getting a job in the U.S, when there were hundreds of American-trained graduates competing with him. But by the time he brushed up his skills which included improving his diction, he bagged a job with one of the biggest banking groups in the U.S, J.P Morgan. He now told his fellow youths. “There is nothing impossible for you once you are determined”.

    But, all that would not have sank into the minds of the youth if the main resource person and chairman of the occasion, Prof. Anya O. Anya had not first embarked on a brief orientation talk for the youth. The thrust of Anya’s talk was for the Imo youths to first situate the cultural context in which they seek to improve their lot.

    Anya told the youths that they are first and foremost Igbo who are known for enterprise and indeed entrepreneurship.

    He went down the memory lane to tell the youths that their parents were among the best in the country and that they should not allow the present economic and social conditions to detract them from living up to the ideals (of independence and enterprise) for which the Igbo are known.

    It was not a one-sided affair, however. The young men and women, apart from paying great attention to the speakers, participated actively especially during the question and answer session. Perhaps to the surprise of their teachers, the youths exhibited a good grasp of the issues at hand. Though some also showed the usual traces of impatience that are known among young people, the general comportment was that of a crop of young men and women who are ready to be shown the way for bettering their lives. They were both eager and anxious. Naturally, some made reservations over government’s attitude to the issue of unemployment and general social decadence.

    To this, Chief Odom advices that, “…this is no time to apportion blames or point accusing fingers. We have been doing that for a long time and nothing has changed…” It is easy to view Odom’s advice as one coming from an establishment man. But he has shown a difference. His initiative with the Chuka Odom Foundation, which focuses on eradicating unemployment among the youths in Imo state, may well be blazing a trail.

  • Imo shelves carnival

    The Imo State Government announced yesterday the indefinite postponement of its maiden carnival in solidarity with families of the abducted schoolgirls in Borno State.

    The government, after an emergency State Executive Council (Exco) meeting, said the governor’s wife, Mrs. Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, will lead a peaceful rally of female students and teachers in solidarity with the kidnapped schoolgirls and their families.

    In a statement yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, the government said: “Following the worrying unknown fate of the 200 female students abducted by the Boko Haram elements in Chibok, Borno State, and the general outcry the ugly development has generated throughout the world, the Imo State Government held an emergency Expanded Executive Council meeting and reviewed the mood of the nation and the world at large.

    “As a sensitive, responsible, conscious and people oriented government, and in view of the painful mood of the nation and the rest of the world, the state’s planned carnival, slated to begin on Friday, May 9, (today) was postponed indefinitely.

    “Instead of the carnival road march programmed for the Friday, the council decided that the governor’s wife, Mrs Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, would lead a road march that will involve female students and all mothers who are teachers in the state school system.”

  • Imo to revive Avutu Poultry Farm

    The Imo State government has pledged to revive the multi-billion naira Avutu Modern Poultry farm, Obowo, established by late Governor Sam Mbakwe, but was later abandoned by successive administrations in the state.

    Governor Rochas Okorocha made the promise during a tour of the Obowo Local Government Area.

    He said the government had engaged some foreign and local agricultural experts comprising a South African-based firm and Crux Industries (Nig.) Limited to resuscitate the farm.

    The Managing Director, Crux Industries Nig Limited, Sir Frank Ibeziem, said the firm’s premises is a shadow of itself with dilapidated, decayed and ramshackled infrastructure, adding that arrangement had been concluded to  restore the firm.

    This entails feasibility studies, installation of a one million water tank, administrative and residential blocks and at least, two poultry beds which would stock above 30,000 birds, he said.

    His words: “Imo Poultry capacity is 2.5 million birds a year, 40 million eggs a year, 13,000 birds a year, processing plant with cold room, hatchery, feed mill, 45 poultry houses in nine plots.”

    Ibeziem, an industrial chemist, who was accompanied on the visit by other members of his management and Emma Anyanwu, had earlier called on the traditional ruler of Avutu autonomous community, Eze Abel Chukwuocha, in his place where Eze Edwin Iheanyichukwu  Onubuogu and Eze Rufus Adndu also received him.

    He pleaded for the cooperation of the Avutu community to enable his team to realise its mission.

    Responding, the royal fathers through Eze Abel Chukwuocha noted that the revival of the poultry had become a challenge to the government, commending it for taking the bull by the horns to bring it back to life. The monarchs pledged their support for their project.

  • Imo Govt. suspends plans to concession hospital

    Imo Govt. suspends plans to concession hospital

    The Imo Government on Tuesday said that it had suspended the plans to concession its public hospitals.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Jonny Ihebereme, said this at the Annual Health Week seminar organised by the Medical and Health Workers Union (MHWU) in Owerri.

    Ihebereme said that Gov. Rochas Okorocha suspended the plans following a technical advice on the proposed concession.

    The permanent also said that the state government ordered the refund of the money committed to the projects by the concessionaires.

    He said government was poised to reform primary health care delivery and would ensure that all primary health care in the state were funded.

    The permanent secretary said a health policy tagged, “Health at Your Door Step’’ had been introduced by the state government.

    He said that the police was another way to make health care delivery accessible to everybody in the state.

    Ihebereme said that the state government would construct 27 general hospitals in each local government area, stressing that this would guarantee accessible health care to the rural dwellers.

    He said government had revived all the state-owned hospitals in Imo with state of the art equipment to deliver quality health care.

    He urged the union leaders to sanction any perceived or suspecting non-performing health workers across the local government areas of the state.

    The Chairman of MHWU, Dr Frances Nzenwata, asked government to employ professionals into the health sector.

    Nzenwata said that it would be impossible to achieve quality health care delivery without professionals in the system.

    She said the Health at Your Door Step policy of the government was laudable because it would guarantee accessible health care to rural dwellers.

    The chairman called for a comprehensive overhaul of the sector, and urged government to do everything possible to ensure re-accreditation of its health institutions.

    “No state can achieve universal health coverage with all the health institutions wobbling. Therefore, government must take urgent step to redirect its steps in achieving good health care delivery,” he said.

    He thanked the governor for approving a Consolidated Salary Structure for its health workers, adding that since then their productivity had increased.

  • Monthly allowance for Imo pupils

    Monthly allowance for Imo pupils

    Things are looking up for Imo State pupils. The state government is expanding its free education policy with the payment of a monthly stipend to secondary school students and pupils in all the public schools across the state.

    Secondary school students are to receive N500 monthly, while their primary school counterparts in all the government-owned institutions will get N300 each.

    Flagging off the payment and the distribution of educational material at the Owerri City School, the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, said that the Rescue Mission introduced payment of stipends to pupils and students to appreciate Imo children and give them a sense of ownership and participation in the affairs of the state and its resources.

    He said that the gesture would inculcate the culture of financial prudence in the pupils at their early stage in life and give them a sense of pride as stakeholders in the affairs of the state.

    “It is a way of saying thank you to our children for doing the right thing and this will encourage them and others to go to school,” he said. “And since the state is yet to commence the feeding programme in the schools, the payment of stipends will continue to be sustained as an alternative”.

    Aside from the stipend and distribution of school sandals, uniforms and other educational materials, the governor also launched the Parent Teachers Child Assessment Programme (PTCAP) and Mentoring Programme

    Okorocha explained that the PTCAP and Mentoring Programme were fashioned to create a platform for collaboration between the teacher, parents and the child to have a continuous assessment on the welfare of the child, with the view to ensuring proper upbringing of every child.

    While the mentorship programme is made of credible and accomplished individuals who have who have volunteered to provide moral and financial support to pupils and students and regularly visit the schools to discuss their common problems.

    The Imo governor appealed to teachers, principals and other heads of schools in the state to keep a communication line with the parents and the students in order to know the position of the child at any given time.

    He further warned them not to sell the materials provided by government but ensure that every child gets the school sandals, canvas, stockings and other materials.

    The Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere who is also the Mentor of Owerri City School commended the Governor for his special interest in education and welfare of the Imo child, assuring that he will pay regular visits to the schools and equally provide necessary assistance.

    On his part, the Secretary to the State Government and the Mentor of the State Primary Schools, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, enjoined the pupils to go through their school with resolve and determination to overcome every challenge of life.

    He assured them that with determination and hard-work, they will achieve success in their life endeavors.

    The wife of the State Governor, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha expressed joy that Imo children are being positioned to be future leaders by the present administration and commended the pupils and students for their good conduct.

    She said that government provided school uniforms, sandals, stockings and canvas to make the Imo child proud and appealed to parents and teachers to collaborate with government in ensuring a better welfare of the Imo child.

    Responding on behalf of the students of Owerri City School, Miss Blessing Nwele thanked the State government for the love shown to pupils and students by providing free education, school uniforms, desks and payment of monthly stipends.

  • Imo police chief warns against frivolous petitions

    Imo State Commissioner of Police Abdulmajid Ali yesterday warned lawyers to desist from disrupting the activities of the police through frivolous petitions.

    He said the command would resist attempts to drag it into civil matters.

    Ali, who spoke when parading suspects at the command headquarters, said lawyers misled the police by dragging them into civil matters, which could be settled without the police.

    He said: “Lawyers are flooding the command with petitions. This is an attempt to drag the police into civil matters. We are peacemakers, but should not be treating frivolous petitions. Communities should settle their civil matters without getting the police involved. I am in this state to curb crimes.”

    Among the suspects paraded were members of a notorious gang of cattle rustlers, who specialised in attacking and killing cattle rearers and stealing cows.

    The suspects, Christian Nwabuchi (26), Ifeanyi Uzoma Daniels and others at large were said to have invaded a cattle base, stealing 32 cows, after killing the herdsman, Usman Goje. Seventeen of the cows were recovered after the suspects were arrested.

    The police also paraded a three-man gang of suspected kidnappers, led by an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Cyprain Uduak Sylvester.

    They were said to have abducted Mr. Cyril Echesi at Uli in Ihialla Local Government Area of Anambra State and were taking their victim to Ahuda in Rivers State when they were arrested by the command’s Scorpion Squad.

  • Imo Police spokesperson, others decorated

    Imo Police spokesperson, others decorated

    Some officers of the Imo State Police Command have been decorated with their new ranks by the Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali. They include the Police Public Relations Officer, Joy Elemoko and 16 others

    Speaking during the ceremony at the Command Headquarters in Owerri, the state capital, Ali charged the promoted officers to work harder to justify the confidence reposed in them by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and the Police Service Commission.

    According to Ali, the promotion was in line with the vision of the IG to ensure that officers are promoted as and when due to encourage and motivate them to put in their best in the service.

    He charged them to work harder to combat crime, adding that, “let me congratulate you on behalf of the IG for your new ranks. I charge you to go back to your various duty posts and motivate the men under you to do more because you will be held responsible for any lapses in your respective areas of command”.

    Speaking on behalf of the promoted officers, the Command spokesman, who was promoted to the rank of a Superintendent of Police (SP), assured the Police authority that the promotion will spur the officers to do more, “we are grateful to the IGP and the PSC for the confidence reposed in us. To me it is a call for higher dedication to duty. I dedicate the rank to the IGP, my colleagues for their cooperation and team spirit and to my family for their ceaseless prayers”.

    In his remarks, the Commander of the 18 Squadron of the Police Mobile Force, who was also decorated with a new rank, Samuel Jephtah, assured that the promoted officers will put in their best to get further promotions, “the only way to say thank you for the promotion is to work harder. What we got today is an appreciation for our diligent service and we will work even harder to justify it”.

  • A sweet goodbye

    A sweet goodbye

    The National Association of Imo, and Ebonyi States’ Students (NAIAESS) has organised a send-off party for members.  The event was held at the Urban and Regional Planning Department.

    In his address, Chairman on the occasion Prof C.I. Owuama congratulated the graduating students for successfully concluding their studies. He advised them to be submissive and humble.

    He stressed the need for hard work, saying it was important for the realisation of their dreams.

    “We Ibos are known for our hard work, and nothing pays like hard work. There is dignity in labour,” he said.

    The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of certificates to the graduating students, cultural dance, plucking of the farewell fruit and presentation of awards to deserving members of the association.

    Those given awards included Dr Bamanga Ribadu,  Joseph Tivary and Uche Kalu, who are lecturers in the Department of Information Technology and Industrial Design.

    Others were Ekwuzie Osondu Victor, Bappare Mohammed, Chidebere Offordieze, Valentine Uzoma and Dr Jival Panama, who was posthumously honoured.

    Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Dr Ribadu thanked the organisers  for finding them worthy of the awards, promising to support the association.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Chairman of the organising committee Ekwuzie thanked God for the success of the event, in spite of financial difficulties.  He called on members to strive for academic excellence and to keep the association united.

  • Imo to build Free Trade Zone soon

    Imo to build Free Trade Zone soon

    Imo State government is to build a prototype of the Calabar Free Trade Zone, to boost commerce and tourism in the state.

    This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Planning, Hon Uche Nwosu, while handing over the cheque for the payment of compensation for the over 2000 acres of land acquired for the project to the host community Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area.

    The commissioner, who assured that serious work will soon begin on the site, gave assurance that when completed, the Free Trade Zone will open up the state to international business community with its attendant benefits.

    According to him, the development partners are already waiting with required funds and other logistics and would soon mobilise to site, adding that, “once the state government has concluded discussions with the development partners, they will mobilise to site and deliver the project on schedule”.

    Enumerating the benefits of the project to the state and especially the host communities, Nwosu charged the consortium that received the payment on behalf of the land owners to ensure that proper claim survey was conducted to ensure that no one was short changed.

    He said: “This government has been diligent in the payment of compensations to communities for acquired lands and we urge you to ensure that the people get what is accrued to them depending on the size of their land that was acquired by government for the project which will also benefit the people immensely. I also plead with you to advise and educate the youth to support the project by allowing the developers unhindered access to the land as proper work commences”.