Labour Party has endeavored to achieve a legacy in these 365 days, and that is to guide Abians to a new beginning of Hope and a brighter future of leadership that has the capacity and is committed to our natural desire of development and economic freedom
By Njoku SaintJerry A.
May 29 2024 will complete a 365 days cycle of a journey embarked upon by a group of people relatively unknown and nothing to reckon with under Abia state political arrangement.
Of a truth, the Labour party merely existed in the shadows of Nigeria’s political 18 with no prominent seat nor any national political accolade.
Until the emergence of Dr. Alex Otti into the party, followed by Mr. Peter Obi into the ring, we remained ‘those ordinary people” struggling to make a difference that will change the fortunes of our communities and social welfare – a challenge that appears almost insurmountable.
Everybody wants power, everybody wants a change, but most worrisome, everybody wants to be bribed to take a responsibility, everybody wants power in order to wield a political and economic control of the ordinary people in his communities, everybody wants power in order to change a lifestyle and assuage his vanities on earth and most importantly dash out of the Nigerian rat race.
That was the politics in Abia State and across Nigeria as a country and for 24 years this political rat race existed here in Abia state until its people were brought to an all time low virtually in all economic indices, it was an awful situation that only men with a character trait that reflects the biblical Moses, Joshua, and Jesus Christ could step into the ring and pull the rug off the canvass of mischievous political manipulators.
Like Nigeria, Abia state was almost lost to the devils, virtually everything was in ruins, neglected and the little benefits accruing to a state that used to be known for its industry and entrepreneurship was shared among few circles of political opportunists that held sway in the ring for a whooping wasted 24 years.
Now the most interesting part is; this group of cats didn’t just leave the scene when the ordinary people revolted through the ballot box under the platform of Labour party, to chase them away. They left a very bad legacy of a cultural behavior of negligence, lawlessness, filth, and graft that made the society see politics as the shortest route to wealth and fame.
Perhaps it is, and it produced very wealthy men in politics without works and no morals, it produced very powerful people in politics but without morals nor regard for the communities and their people and this brought untold hardship to the people and destroyed the foundation of leadership that will lead any group or nation to any place of repute nor development.
So it was in Abia State until 18th – 22nd March 2023, the ordinary people found a man in the personality of the biblical Moses, Joshua and Jesus Christ personified and they rallied behind the man, Alex Otti and achieved victory and by 29th May 2023, Nigerians gathered to celebrate the people of Abia state for putting up such a gallant battle with the forces that has held them down over the decades.
That journey from obscurity as one of the worst performing south eastern state to take positions on headline news as the best performing state in Nigeria today under the leadership of the Labour party leader, H.E. Governor Alex Otti has not come with a Pop of Champagne bottles rather the leader has been engaged in a hard task of sacrifice of rebuilding and guiding the people to follow in his footsteps of frugality and objective responsibility to your people and environment.
Amidst all the fanfare, the people must learn a thing from this celebration; a responsible leadership does not put his pursuit of vanities and self fulfillment before the people he is called to lead.
Abia is on a journey to Promised Land, it requires sacrificial choices that are certain to be alien to our regular Political inclination
It is not enough to praise the governor to high heavens, no matter how hard he tried, some unprincipled individuals will never be comfortable with a character like H.E Governor Alex Otti on the saddle and this is where every responsible Abians owe the leader a responsibility to eschew greed and self conceit and work for the good of the people and our community, that is the essence of the victory of Labour Party over the former Abia Political engagements, as evidenced in the logo of Labour party, we value the people, their means of survival and the environment, the very essence of economic security; abandon them at the peril of the State.
Whether you’re a Special Assistant to the governor, a Commissioner, a Party Chieftain or just an ordinary supporter of the Party of hard working people of Abia State, it will be most honorable to follow the leadership of H.E Governor Alex Otti, and be committed to the principles he holds dear and sincere enough to serve and implement the principles which labour party holds in high esteem.
That’s the hard choices the leadership of Labour Party had to opt for, that is the legacy we have endeavored to achieve in these 365 days, to guide Abians to a new beginning of Hope and a brighter future of leadership that has the capacity and is committed to our natural desire of development and economic freedom.
Like the governor had maintained, we have come to put things right in its proper perspective, not to share the people patrimony to a few circle of friends, we have come to lead Abia to the promise land where every citizen is a stakeholder in the New Abia and for the first 365 days, H.E. Governor Alex Otti has not failed to prove his preparedness to achieve the ultimate goal of Labour Party to the people and our environment.
It is only when we sincerely choose to align with these principles of the Party of the Ordinary people, Labour Party, which H.E Governor Alex Otti passionately holds dear, that is only when our celebration of the first 365 days will be very impactful and fulfilling
Njoku SaintJerry A. is the State Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Abia
