“The government must be functional to attract development and investment, states and region must define their own approach. How Abia state under Gov Alex Otti has been able to overcome what seems an impossible task to the Federal security formation will remain an indelible mark of a focused and determined leadership that comes with a plan to reconstruct entire system”
By Njoku SaintJerry A.
Paying a close attention at the rate the Nigerian democracy and elected public officials are falling short of the dire call to duty to your homeland and responsibility to your people according to the tenets of democracy while a very few numbers are leading in clear and straightforward examples of positive outcomes amidst many experimental leadership failures, it becomes necessary to shift focus on the success story of Abia and its Governor Alex Otti and find out why he is succeeding where many have failed.
Beyond political rhetoric of campaign processes, Planning, Focus and Determination to leave a concrete impact on development has served as the bed rock of the Otti’s government leap into prominence. Nothing has happened by accident right from 23rd May 2023 the governor took oath of office even where close associates and critics had attempted to forge a diversion in the guise of the ubiquitous Award parties and distractive criticisms of the governor’s political leanings and people-to-people relations, the governor has remained focused and determined to finish the first phase of this project on responsible governance in Abia State.
If there is anything this part of Nigeria, South East, Abia has lacked for over 2 decades, it is responsible governance and accountability to the great office of leadership virtually at all aspect of government.
Before we arrive on the scene as the ruling Labour Party, it appears, the average Abia indigene resident at any part of the state has lost sense of what it entails to be answerable to any public office of constitutional responsibility, the scene depicts that of a total collapse of law and order and wherever you have such political outcomes, virtually nothing will work, both in security, administration, infrastructure and business, every progress will be automatically stalled or subject to endless experiment.
At a recent flag off ceremony of very important two road reconstruction projects in Umuahia, abandoned for decades, Gov. Otti made a remark and said; “What we have come to do is to raise the governance bar so high that there shall be no room for little thinkers and self seeking actors in our political space when we are done,”
For the past two years the Otti’s Labour party led government has been in existence, Abia has been busy undergoing reconstruction, Public Infrastructure reconstruction and maintenance, Responsible Administrative capacity rebuilding, Security of lives and businesses and Accountability to your people.
These are the clear underlying structures of this government, the bed rock outlining a model template for any politician with genuine interest to bring development to his homeland. It is not enough to say it but remain focused, undistracted by the hype of praise singing detractors aiming to crawl into the government for a spoil or be bothered by the distractive tendencies of critics whom are yet to admit that Abia state witnessed a political and administrative relief in the long run, an eye opener!
Do not be deceived, when I mention “Eye Opener’ it is encompassing. Abia state residents today can define and knows a good government when they see one. The Otti’s led labour party government has opened our eyes and set a milestone for any future contender of the Number 1 seat in Abia State.
The government must be functional to attract development and investment, states and region must define their own approach. While Gov. Otti had begun with the civil servants, the backbone of government administrations, he did not pay lip service to the hydra headed menace of security situations in the state.
On the 12th March 2025, 6 notorious criminals terrorizing a part of Abia as kidnappers were systematically rounded up, and eliminated, their victims freed, and the area declared safe for business activities.
Naturally, such feat had continue to pose a herculean challenge for the Nigerian government for over 2 decades rebellious religious elements now baptized as kidnappers under the guise of herdsmen has continued to terrorize entire Northern region of the country.
This is not the first time; In April 2024, memories remain afresh how luck ran out of one of the suspected masterminds of the kidnap of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Prof. Godwin Emezue, following his arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos while about boarding a flight to Turkey while another suspected accomplice in the criminal act was also arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
If we trace these two exploits to the Lokpanta dismantle of criminal hideouts and the mounting of high end technology devices by the Otti’s government across the state, to track criminals and people constituting public nuisance in the State, we will find a man that is genuinely committed to reclaiming his homeland for his people and has devised an approach that is topnotch and commendable.
How Abia state under Gov Alex Otti has been able to overcome what seems an impossible task to the Federal security formation will remain an indelible mark of a focused and determined leadership that comes with a plan to reconstruct entire system of rot and abuse of power in governance.
This approach has marked Abia State out as a model of a functional government not by TV or billboard commercials of what governance is but in reality leading by example.
“Charity” they said “Begins at home” – If you have visited Abia in previous years or have had any business to do within any government facility in the State, the environmental infrastructure is certain to make you question the existence of responsible governance.
As it was with the Government offices, so it was with other public facilities including schools, the healthcare and most importantly the road infrastructures, Abia state portrayed such a chaotic environment that will prove a herculean challenge for any politician grabbing power without a strategic plan of what to do and where to begin.
Governor Otti began at the government offices, rebuilding and retrofitting the entire infrastructure to give Civil servants and visitors to government offices a sense of responsibility and duty to your homeland.
Today, while the civil servants work in a decent and functional environment, the governor has once more exposed them to the future by linking up the entire area to trending technology of the future – the internet.
On the 22nd March, 2025, Gov Otti in partnership with a private network provider launched a statewide internet network to expand digital access in Abia State beginning from Umuahia, the capital city, the activity was aimed at transforming governance and expanding digital access across the state.
The Abia State Internet Wide Area Network and Managed Network Services Project is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming the state’s public service delivery.
By providing internet access in all public buildings and embedding digital literacy training packages for civil and public servants, the governor will automatically be revolutionizing governance in Abia State as the project will facilitate the electronic transmission of files, reducing the risk of loss or tampering and promoting transparency, accountability, and quality governance.
This is Gov Alex Otti’s approach to a functional and responsive government.
The environment of work must be conducive, public office holders must be accountable for their positions in public offices. Security of lives and property cannot be wished away, we must take advantage of trending information technology to deal with those security challenges that appear insurmountable – However, this will only happen when individuals elected or appointed into offices of authority has the strong will and are determined to follow the footsteps of the leader and that is where governance begins.
Njoku Jerry A is the Ambassador State of African Diaspora (SOAD) He writes from Lagos
