By Pastor Dike Nwankwo
DG Abia state Orientation Agency.
Ukwa West Local Government Area, which is otherwise known as Asa, the Oil Rich Area of Abia State, was marginalized and completely alienated by the previous governments for the past 24 years in spite of her rich endowment of natural resources which make Abia State an Oil producing State with it’s attendant accruals.
Regrettably, throughout the 24 years of holocaust reign in Abia State, Asa/Ukwa West Local Government never had a single project started and completed in its area, and realistically, none of those from Asa/Ukwa West, who served in those previous government, can comfortably access their various villages on a motorable road because of age long dilapidation.
As the leader of the Labour Party and Obidient Movement in Ukwa West, we campaigned vigorously and preached to our people on the need to vote for Dr Alex Chioma Otti OFR,having heard first hand from him,seen and perused his infrastructural and economic blueprint which placed Ukwa in a vantage position, But it appeared like we were embarking on a wild goose chase as our people preferred marginalization and eventually voted against him.
Today, we are vindicated and our message becoming a reality as His Excellency has turned out to be that messiah we all had clamoured for. From the Holy book we know,that anytime God want to visit a people to turn around their lives He sends a man.
Barely four months Dr Alex Chioma Otti OFR emerged victorious and was sworn in as the 5th democratically elected Governor of Abia State, he had, last month, commissioned Umuokomiri road Obehie Asa which his administration completed through ASOPADEC. And tomorrow being Saturday, the 30th of October, 2023, His Excellency Dr Alex Chioma Otti in the company of delegates from the Federal government, private investors are coming for the ground breaking of a gigantic Innovation and Industrial park christened Abia State Innovation and Industrial Park, AIIP at Owaza, Okohia and Uzuaku the Oil Rich Communities in Asa.
His Excellency Dr Alex Chioma Otti OFR, while making his speech at the commissioning of Umuokomiri road, said, inspire of the fact that Ukwa West people didn’t keep to their bargain with him during the electioneering campaigns, he would keep to all his own promises, and therefore enjoined them to always keep to their bargain. This is a testament to the biblical apothegm that says when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice.
The AIIP project which consists of a Modular Refinery, Petrochemical company, Fertilizer manufacturing company, A Carbon Neutral Residential Estate, Agricultural Storage and Processing Facility, Sport Kits & Equipments Production Facility, Mini Seaport, LPG Manufacturing Plant, 5-Star Hotel $ Resort, Modern Vehicle Assembly Plant, LPG and CNG Tank Farms, Haulage and Warehousing Facility and Power Generating Plant, according to Dr Alex Otti, will be one of its kind in West Africa that will attract investment, create economies of agglomeration, provide job opportunities, promote balanced developments, boost export by overcoming constraints that hinder industrialization processes, such as limited access to infrastructure and technology, and also provide uninterrupted power supply.
His Excellency Dr Alex Chioma Otti OFR, the Executive Governor of Abia State, I, on behalf of the Labour Party family and the entire Ukwa West people, therefore, thank you immensely for remembering Ala Asa with this massive infrastructural investment developmental project, while welcoming you to Ala Asa Ukwa West, the land of milk and honey of Abia State, we call on you to equally consider Ukwa West in other investment programs of the State because of the vast undeveloped lands wrongly acquired by the previous governments for white elephant projects. Now that we have a purposeful Governor, Asa/Ukwa West people are willing to give our vast land because we know that it will not be used for audio projects like the purported Enyimba Economic City Development and Obuaku City.
Your Excellency sir, while you sojourned to Nasarawa State to have a first hand experience of the giant strides of Mr Kennedy Okpara’s Agro/ Allied Industrial Revolution, you mentioned that you would like to have a prototype of that in Abia State.
Therefore, we most respectfully, recommend that the defunct Ogwe Golden Chicken which is housed on vast hectares of land be used for such a project.
Your Excellency, you are highly welcome!
There is joy in the air. Ala Asa is jubilating for the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
God bless Dr Alex Chioma Otti OFR!
God bless Ala Asa!
God bless Abia State!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!