By Emeka Nwosu, PhD.
Abia State, these days, trends in the news for heart-warming reasons. The State, unlike what obtained during the inglorious reign of the immediate past Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration, is no longer the butt of all manner of cruel jokes that speak to the pitiable level of retrogressive development and gross misgovernance of that better forgotten era. Just nine months he had been on the leadership saddle of the State, with an impressive record of verifiable and irrefutable achievements, Governor Otti has changed the ugly narratives in Abia State, otherwise known as God`s Own State.
The State, under the superintendence of Otti, is gradually and progressively being repositioned to regain its full potentials as a centre of excellence and hub of commerce and industrialization. With the massive infrastructural revolution going on in the State, particularly in Aba and Umuahia, Abia has, undoubtedly, become the choice destination for investors and tourists alike.
Governor Otti has, through the landmark achievements he has recorded within only nine months in office, proven to the good people of Abia State that good governance is possible when a leader is focused, determined and driven by an ennobling passion to make a difference. In the 24 years that the PDP called the shots in the State, Abia was marooned in the wilderness of incompetent leadership, unprecedented graft, infrastructural decay, tomfoolery and moral degradation.
In spite of the humongous federal allocations that came the way of the previous administrations and particularly the lusterless Ikpeazu government, including the Paris Club refunds, Covid-19 palliative funds and 13 percent derivation funds amounting to Hundreds of Billions of Naira, the visible legacies of Ikpeazu were unpaid salaries and pensions, huge indebtedness, infrastructural decay and loss of accreditation by the only University Teaching Hospital in the State.
The fortunes of the State have changed for good since May 29, 2023, when Otti came on board. The good news is that all the projects Otti is executing are not on Billboards or newspapers. They are not phantom projects with no definable locations. They are verifiable projects that are impacting positively on the lives of the people.
Only last week, Governor Otti led the former Speakers of Abia State House of Assembly on tour of ongoing critical road projects in Aba, the commercial heartbeat of the State, to see for themselves the various strides the government was making in reclaiming Aba from the ruins of the past. One thing that is remarkable about the Aba projects inspection is that all the former Speakers were all former members of the then ruling PDP in the State. At the moment, they belonged to different political parties other than that of the Governor.
The Conference of ex-Speakers which was led by Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka included Arua Arunsi, Christopher Enweremadu, Martins Azubuike, Ude Okochukwu, Agwu U. Agwu and Chikwendu Kalu. The roads they inspected included Ndoki Road, Pepple Road, Old Court Road and Ehi Road. Others were Port Harcourt Road, Omuma Road, Industrial Road, Umuodu Avenue, and University Road, all in Aba. The team also visited Mgbedeala-Omoba Road in Isiala Ngwa South LGA.
Ohajuruka who spoke on behalf of his colleagues at the end of the inspection stated that he and his colleagues were impressed with the massive constructions going on in Aba and the quality of work being delivered by the contractors. He gave accolades to Otti for the giant strides he has made in the State within a short spell in office.
He stated that he and his colleagues believed that politics had ended and that it was now time for governance, adding that one does not need to be a member of the Governor`s political party to appreciate his good work. Earlier in his comments, the Governor had commended the contractors for the excellent job they were doing and urged them to speed up efforts and complete the projects before the rains set in fully. He also thanked the residents and business owners in Aba who trooped out to appreciate him for the great works he was doing in the Enyimba city.
“I would like to thank you for supporting the contractors and giving them your full cooperation. I would also like to thank you for putting up with all the inconveniences to ensure that this road is built to the highest standards”. The Governor further noted that the essence of the inspection was to ensure that the contractors followed the specifications and to assess the level of work completed thus far.
With this bi-partisan approach to projects inspection and verification in Abia State, Governor Otti has set a new standard in good governance and exemplary leadership. It should be obvious to everyone, including sworn critics and political adversaries that Abia, under Otti, is breaking new grounds in the holistic transformation of the once beleaguered State.
Dr. Nwosu, a Political Analyst, writes from Umuahia.
Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com