Abia state is in the news today because of Gov. Otti’s people oriented policies, any leader who adopt a policy of people, industry and the environment will achieve a great feat It is not an act of political rhetoric, it is a policy you implement, business and the people will naturally flow towards you then you win – Njoku Jerry A.
People all over the world want good governance. A government that keeps its promises and abides by the rule of law, provides assurance of security of residents and their businesses and is genuinely committed to the welfare of its people and their environment.
Labour party was programmed to provide the platform for alternative leadership and good governance. Alternative leadership is what the people earnestly yearn for and it comes with a sacrifice, a sacrifice of self, responsibility and call to duty.
Politics aside, Labour party in Nigeria has exemplifies a credible platform of test of leadership because of its disciplinary measures committed to nation building and provides shelter for all categories of interest, from the shoe shiner, food hawkers, artisans, civil servants, professionals and business owners of all categories.
These are the group of people that makes the society thrive; among these groups of people are the engines of the economic wheel of the nation. From here comes the street sweepers, masons, factory workers, IT engineers, teachers and doctors etc and when they work harder up the ladder of life, some become industrialists, economic think tanks and finally political leaders who constitutes decision makers of the society.
Virtually everything about Labour party circles around the ordinary people who make up the workforce or engine of the economy, so when Labour party emerges into mainstream Nigeria politics, their exponential growth was expected, not because it was another Nigeria political party with beautiful promises of overnight wealth and solace to the vain pursuits of the average Nigerian but by what it preaches and stood for; Discipline and dignity of labour, the people and their environment. This is what have distinct all developed nation of the world from the mockery of governance and experimental leadership African political rulers continue to exhibit in the global community.
Therefore when Peter Obi joined the party and led that campaign of Discipline and dignity of labour, respect to the people and their environment, he automatically won the hearts of not only Nigerians but Africans and the global community – it served an era of momentary freedom for Nigerians, and Africans all over the world were eager and expectant to see the change begin to happen immediately he is sworn into power. Unfortunately it never happened at the national stage.
That it never happened at the national level did not spell doom for the Nigerian people rather both by divine arrangement and by the collective will of the people, that victory that eluded Labour party at the national level with Mr. Peter Obi happened in Abia State, South East Nigeria with Dr. Alex Otti (OFR), the Labour Party executive governor of Abia state. And to prove it was a total freedom not only for the people of Abia State but for Nigerians anywhere in the world, the excitement that greeted the victory of Labour Party and Alex Otti in Abia state shook entire country and beyond so much that people began to wonder, were Abians bewitched in a long spell of darkness to have exhibited that level of wild excitement and jubilation?
Perhaps Abians were held in hostages by political state actors as imagined but beyond that the people who celebrated the most were those holding the engine wheel of the economy which has stagnated over the years at the total loss to the citizenry.
When basic physical infrastructures, even ordinary street lights are non functional, and the people’s sources of earning are held up for years and months, they soon become incapable of contributing to anything meaningful that will bring development to their society, they may even resort to crime in order to patch up.
When political state actors respond to the society with every known form of impunity, they automatically introduce lawlessness so much that indiscipline becomes a culture and any state exposed to such level of impunity in its political administration is bound to be grounded to a vicious circle of retrogression.
Therefore Abia state political economy was arbitrarily grounded and exposed to a vicious circle of retrogression, frustrating businesses and lifestyle in Southeast Nigeria’s center of commerce and industry before the emergence of Alex Otti
It was Alex Otti who took the first challenge of dismantling that political and administrative structure of negligence and rascality which has been in existence in Abia state for the past 24 years. This is what Peter Obi had equally planned to do at the national level but he was overwhelmed by the forces holding Nigeria down.
Alex Otti took the bull by its horns because it represents the principle on which Labour party was built on, the people, industry and their environment.
You cannot steal and manipulate the people continually, because when you do that, you automatically destroy the confidence of the people who are going to operate the economic wheel of the state, also if you do not pay genuine attention to the environment that houses the people and the industry, both system is bound to operate in a conflict otherwise which manufacturing business or even artisans will thrive in an environment of indiscipline or lawlessness, lack of basic physical infrastructure and insecurity.
This is where the Alex Otti led Labour party government has scored the green point by focusing its leadership strength on the basic necessities of building a viable nation the moment it took full responsibility to stop every administrative larceny, negligence and indiscipline to public offices and the environment.
Alex Otti won’t bow to manipulation and blackmail and insisted that all workers in the state should undergo a physical scrutiny to ascertain the sincerity and commitment of people around him to duty. On achieving success in putting up an orgsanised administrative structure, he embarked upon remodeling of basic infrastructures including roads and healthcare, lighting up the darkness that has cast a somber shadow on the cities and most remarkably dealing with the security situation that has became a menace in the region.
As a leader committed to the people and their welfare, the Alex Otti Labour party government engaged all principal actors of the security situations in the state and brought them to a point of agreement and harmony irrespective of tribe or ethnicity.
The Lokpanta cattle market axis that has became notorious for security breaches was dismantled and undergoing administrative remodeling to accommodate all residents and citizens in the state for actual business practice and not a criminal enterprise guised under the camouflage of business center.
Abia state is in the news today and ranked high in political leadership because of Alex Otti led Labour party people oriented policies, any leader who adopt a policy of people, industry and the environment first will achieve a great feat in the administration of the state. It is not an act of political rhetoric, it is a policy you implement then you win and the people will naturally follow you, businesses will locate you and the economic wheel will run freely in your favour because you have made the provisions for its smooth operations. This is the reason for the ongoing rush to the Abia State by business owners because the leadership of the region has dealt with the primary concerns of the citizenry.
Njoku Jerry Ajike is the State Publicity Secretary, Labour Party, Abia
