Echoing Gov. Otti’s unwavering commitment to ending barbarism in Abia
No society thrives in the midst of barbarism as it is the aim of any modern society to banish barbarism from it’s quarters. Therefore it is commendable and heart warming that Governor Alex Otti has once again shown forthright leadership and empathy by writing the Chief of Army staff to commiserate with him following the senseless killing of men of the Nigerian Army by yet to be unidentified assailants at Umuopara-(Onuimo); a community situated at the boundary between Abia and Imo state.
The Abia chief executive also extended his condolences to the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division Enugu, commander 14 Brigade Ohafia, and commanding officer 145 Battalion. In a heartfelt message the Governor promised that his administration will support the immediate family members of the slain soldiers and that the state government will collaborate with the Army and other security agencies to hunt down perpetrators to face the full weight of the law.
The timeliness of the letter speak volumes to the compassionate nature of governor Alex Chioma Otti. He positions himself as an elected leader who leads from the front and who is on top of crucial situations at critical periods.
Being security conscious and the need to sustain morale amongst personnel, he recalled similar occurrences in the recent past at Obikabia junction in Aba the commercial hub of the state and efforts made so far to capture perpetrators of the dastardly act whose conscience are seared to the point of forgetting the sacredness of life with all efforts made to preserve it.
The actions of Governor Alex Otti in managing these unprovoked attacks against security personnel particularly soldiers and policemen in the wider context of insecurity is proof positive that Abians made an excellent choice in Otti and the benefits we continue to reap in Interventions such as operation crush, digital security cover of Aba and Umuahia through the installation of CCTV at designated spots, strengthening of the State police command amongst other steps aimes to ensure that the both Abians and visitors are safe.
No doubt, even naysayers have admitted that the incidence of Kidnap for ransom has dropped significantly almost to zero with the coming to office of Governor Alex Otti. The dismantling of the kidnap cartel with it’s anchor at the lokpa axis by the administration of governor Otti is testament to what is possible when good men hold sway.
The now opposition PDP and their government proofed a lame duck while in office when Lokpa area hosting the cattle market and straddling the all important Enugu-Portharcourt highway became a den of thieves, robbers, kidnappers, drug peddlers and all what not that exists in the dictionary of evil.
But Gov. Otti came and with determination smashed into smithereens all of the vice which troubled the state at Lokpa and now we know peace and tranquility; travellers can now move without fear of being kidnapped while genuine traders at the famous livestock market now transact without being troubled by marauders.
With similar determination on the part of Gov. Otti, he is poised and determined to fish out the ‘attackers at Umuopara’ and bring them to book.
It is part of the operations of these criminals to publish their cowardly activities on social media in order to gain traction and instill fear in the hearts of many but there is a deeper resolve on the part of the Gov. to track them down and to punish them for their wicked actions.
There is no derailing the movement to the new Abia as championed by Gov. Otti. Men and women of goodwill in Abia and the diaspora have thrown their weight behind the people’s governor. Fear mongering and intimidation will definitely not dissuade the good efforts of the state government at making Abia the number destination for investment and leisure in the country.
Already the National Bureau of Statics – NBS – ranks Abia as the number 3 investment destination in the country behind Lagos and Abuja from a position of 27 when the current administration first came into office. This new status is as a result of the measure’s and investments made by Abia Government under Gov. Otti with the intention to improve on the investment status of Abia through the overall enhancement of security.
Gov. Otti is on top of security in Abia and it is one of the hallmarks of the New Abia. Things can only get better as has been proved time and again that those who pay the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the rest of us will not be forgotten.
We are thankful for the New Abia ably marshalled by Go. Alex Chioma Otti.
By Chukwuma Elvis, a public affairs commentator.