Gov. Otti’s infrastructure development, a new dawn for Ukwa ethnic nationality
By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu
The determination of Gov. Alex Otti to right the wrongs of many years of maladministration and under-development in Abia State is not in doubt.
The governor has shown that all parts of the state can witness meaningful progress through the provision of physical infrastructure.
The idea of investing huge resources in quality road infrastructure across the state stems from the fact that the average Igbo man, industrious in nature, therefore, requires the enabling environment to flourish in his trade.
Good road network is a great enabler of rapid development of any society. When an area is easily accessible, it becomes the first attraction for potential investors to site their investment, thus opening channels of employment for the indigenes of the area and some other development enablers, such as banks, hospitals, schools and housing estates to be established in such an area.
The Ukwa ethnic nationality, politically delineated into two Local Governments Areas (LGAs) of Ukwa East and Ukwa West, a Federal Constituency and part of the Abia South Senatorial District, has not experienced any tangible development since the creation of Abia, despite being the goose that lays the golden egg for the state.
Yes, it is in Ukwa West LGA that hydro carbon is found in commercial quantity, therefore, making Abia an oil producing state in Nigeria.
However, the dearth of infrastructure and heavy presence of poverty in the area are synonymous with what is happening in other Niger Delta communities.
A visit to the area will reveal several abandoned projects by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and even Abia State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (ASOPADEC) because these interventionist agencies were not intentional in delivering on the mandate in the past, even though some politicians, who held various appointments in the agencies became stupendously rich.
Poised to change the narrative, Gov. Otti performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the Abia Industrial and Innovation Park (AIIP) in Owaza, the oil-rich community, in Ukwa West LGA on September 30, 2023.
The industrial park, which will sit on over 1,000 hectares of land, is expected to host modular refineries, petrochemical and fertiliser plants and several other chains of enterprises.
Shell Petroleum Development Company, Total Energies Limited and the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority, partners in the project, also pledged their commitment to the realization of the project.
Gov. Otti had posited that the AIIP was conceived to serve as a launch pad for Abia’s economic rejuvenation, leveraging the many advantages of the location, including but not limited to the oil and gas deposits.
Its nearness to Aba and Port Harcourt cities will pull an abundance of skilled labour with a secured environment for smooth and uninterrupted production and other industrial activities.
As part of the efforts to ensure the speedy realization of the AIIP project, Otti on Tuesday, March 11, commissioned the reconstruction of the 11.1 kilometres Obehie – Umudobia – Owaza Road in Ukwa West LGA with an assurance that the project would be completed within one year.
Speaking during the event at St. Ann Secondary School, Obehie Asa, the governor said that the road on completion would boost the marketability and viability of AIIP.
It is interesting to recall that the State Government recently completed the payment of compensation to the land donors for the project.
Gov. Otti revealed that significant changes would occur in the area after the completion of the road, especially with the Federal Government’s approval for the establishment of a modular refinery in the upcoming AIIP.
“This project is, therefore, not just about creating access to the towns and villages along the corridor, it is more about reviving dormant economic assets, opening new horizons and reigniting the dreams that once starred the souls of our fathers.
“I’ll like to inform you that just a few days ago, we got the good news that the Federal Government has approved a modular refinery, which would be cited inside the AIIP. That modular refinery will be built by H.I.S. Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited.
“My assurance is that every support we can give as a government shall be availed you as we work together to create a robust industrial cluster that will accelerate the rapid socio-economic development of the area and fast track the restoration of the years that have been lost to poor leadership.
“Today, we officially declare that the era of neglect of Ukwa and all the communities within the land is over.
“Ukwa shall no longer be a forgotten place. Your land will yield forth it’s best fruits and your barns shall never be empty again.
“You will enjoy the riches of the environment and the oil in your land shall bring you boundless prosperity.
“You will not only get what is due to you at the resource allocation table, the various levers of our administration shall collaborate extensively with agencies like ASOPADEC, NDDC and other interventionist establishments to restore the years that had been lost to the politics of exclusion and deceit,” Gov. Otti said.
He further assured the people that the Umuzike-Obokwe-Ngwaiyiekwe Road would soon be awarded and commissioned for reconstruction, having been approved in the 2025 budget.
He promised to restore electricity in Asa land before the end of March and directed the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr Ikechukwu Monday, to visit the area and find out what it would take to do so.
On the appeal for potable water, the governor said that he had already declared a state of emergency in the water sub-sector, assuring the people that the water problem confronting many communities in the state would soon be a thing of the past.
The event latter turned into a theater for an avalanche of commendations as major stakehoders and chieftains of other political parties took turn to hail the governor for his good work in the area.
Th Member representing Ukwa-West State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Godwin Adiele, who is of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna, and the Mayor of Ukwa-West LGA, Pastor Dike Nwankwo, all conveyed the happiness and gratitude of Asa people to the governor.
Also, the General Manager of ASOPADEC, Ven. Joshua Onyeike, thanked the governor for providing the commission a level playing ground to perform its statutory mandate of providing essential services to oil producing areas. Onyeike explained that the governor had in many ways demonstrated his love for Ukwa people.
He disclosed that there were other projects the governor would be executing in Ukwa land and assured the governor of the continuous support of the people.
In separate goodwill messages, a former legislator in the Old Imo State, Dame Victoria Akanwa, and a former Secretary to the State Government, Pastor Ralph Egbu, applauded Gov. Otti for his landmark achievements across the state. They thanked him for coming to rescue the people of Ukwa from bad roads, which the area had been known for. They also appealed for the restoration of electricity and provision of potable water to the area.
In an address, the President General, Asa Development Union, Elder Goodluck Nwauju, said that the governor had through the road project, the AIIP, and the recovery of over 10,000 hectares of land earlier taken over by the previous administration for a non-existent Enyimba Economic City project, demonstrated his love for Asa people.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Otumchere Oti, while sayjng that Gov. Otti has continued to connect communities through road infrastructure, described the road as a gateway into Asa and the AIIP.
Oti explained that the project, with 12-month delivery timeline, would equally open up the area for greater economic opportunities by creating direct and indirect jobs and increasing heavy financial flow into the area.
By intentionally investing heavily and in road infrastructure, Gov. Otti is boosting economic growth and improving the overall quality of life for Abia residents.
The improved road network sprouting across the entire length and breadth of the state will enhance safety and security, reduce travel time and accidents on our roads.
#Gov. Otti is Building the new Abia!
#To God be glory!
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia.