AS PRESIDENT TINUBU VISITS ABIA TO COMMISSION PROJECTS
By Emeka Nwosu, PhD.
The President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected in Abia State on Friday, 3rd October, 2025, on an official visit to inaugurate some critical road projects and other infrastructure that have been put in place for the good of the people by Governor Alex Otti. The hint was given by the governor at the September edition of his monthly press briefing in Umuahia tagged, “Governor Alex Otti speaks to Abia people”.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the well-meaning people of the State to troop out in their numbers to accord Mr. President a rousing welcome. The appeal cannot be overemphasized considering the fact that this is the first time the President is visiting Abia in an official capacity since after his inauguration on May 29, 2023. This presidential visit is, therefore, more than symbolic and ceremonial in nature. It offers a great opportunity for the President to see for himself the wonderful economic transformation and infrastructural revolution that Otti has brought to a State that had before now taken a retreat into retrogression.
The visit would, undoubtedly, enable Mr. President to connect directly with the hardworking and industrious people of Abia and their aspirations for a better and prosperous future. The presence of the President would further reassure them that he cares for their welfare while serving as an inspiration for them to remain on the path of resilience and innovativeness for which they are renowned.
Among the completed road projects the President is expected to commission include the iconic Port Harcourt Road in Aba executed by construction giant, Julius Berger. This vital road corridor, which once boasted of leading industries and manufacturing firms, was ignored for over 30 years by preceding administrations. Landlords in the area were noted to have abandoned their prized properties to ravaging gully erosions as floods took over the entire stretch of the 6.8 km road and the adjoining neighbourhood. The recovery of the road and its transformation into a beautiful six-lane boulevard is an incredible feat by the Otti administration.
The inauguration of this road by Mr. President, for the people of Abia State, is an affirmation of the can-do-spirit and dogged determination of Otti to reposition Abia for greater economic possibilities and development.
Other completed critical roads in Aba which the President is also expected to commission include Ohanku road, Ajiwe sreet, Umuatako street, Gabriel Nwosu street, Chief Nkoro street and spurs in Abayi, Ndoki road, and People`s road. Collectively, they total 18.8 km. These are not just ordinary roads. They are economic corridors that provide lifeline to the teeming Aba population. Mr. President will be visibly pleased that Governor Otti has boosted the economy of Aba and created shared prosperity through the deliberate recovery of these roads from the decay of the inglorious past.
As Mr. President gets into the commercial city of Aba to commission these projects and others completed by Governor Otti, he would see a resurgent Enyimba city that has bounced back to life; a completely transformed mega polis from the ruins of the immediate past. Otti has been able to prove that where a will exists, there is a way. From the litany of achievements he has recorded just within two years in office, he has shown that no goal was impossible to attain once the will and determination exist.
The people of Abia are appreciative of the accomplishments of the resourceful governor in various fields of endeavor, including human capital development, healthcare, education, pension administration, civil service reforms, agriculture, sports and youth development, urban renewal, environmental sanitation and transportation.
A great reception awaits the President in Aba by grateful residents who are proud of the transformative leadership Otti is providing in Abia State. They will roll out the drums and come with different dancing troupes and masquerades, including the famous Ohafia war dancers to accord Mr. President a rousing welcome.
For the people of Abia, Mr. President`s visit is generally seen as an endorsement of the path-breaking achievements of the Otti administration. It is also a morale booster that would go a long way in motivating and energizing the governor to continue to do more for his people. It is our belief that the visit would afford the President to learn firsthand areas of challenges in the State and how he can come in to support Otti in his efforts to make Abia a leading State in Nigeria. Much more importantly, President Tinubu`s visit would clearly underscore the increasing importance of Abia State amongst the comity of States in our dear country.
President Tinubu can count on Otti as a reliable partner in his Renewed Hope Agenda which is geared towards building a resilient, inclusive and prosperous economy. It is the expectations of the people of Abia that Mr. President would take advantage of his visit to announce some goodies to the State. We expect some positive pronouncements on the reconstruction of the federal roads in the State, including the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road, Aba-Owerri Road, Ohafia-Arochukwu Road and Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road.
As Mr. President arrives Abia for this historic visit, we wish him a happy outing in God`s own State.
May Abia continue to prevail!
Dr. Nwosu, a Public Policy Analyst, writes from Umuahia.
Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com