“Obasanjo, who has persistently championed the campaign for good governance in Nigeria and other African countries, also spoke on the significance of quality leadership.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (a.k.a OBJ), one of Africa’s few living legends, had a swell time in Abia, God’s Own State, between Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12. He was on a two-day working visit to the state at the instance of Gov. Chioma Alex Otti.
The resoundingly successful “August Visit” was Obasanjo’s second since 2000 when he first came on a similar working visit as the President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government. Other times were, of course, private visits to individuals and friends, including his courtesy call on the governor in March 2024 to felicitate him on his resounding electoral victory in 2023.
It was during the year 2000 visit that he inaugurated some “China” roads in Aba, the economic hub of Abia, rehabilitated by the then Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK). During the event, he nicknamed Orji “Action Governor”, a gesture he, no doubt, was later made to regret sorely.
And like the lifespan of “China products” is scornfully and paradoxically described as “short”, no sooner were the roads inaugurated than they began to wash away! So also was the romance between OBJ and OUK. It unfortunately did not stand the test of time.
Interestingly, Baba’s visit this time was not only eventful but memorable and bound to remain evergreen and imperishable in people’s heart. That is because he devoted his two-day stay to inaugurating projects that were intentionally designed to endure and outlive this generation, being sustainably impactful to mankind.
So, he began his assignment with the launch of a two-day free ear screening and distribution of free hearing aids for states in the South-East Geopolitical Zone.
The exercise, which happened at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia had well over a thousand persons with different hearing impairments, from within and without the region, receiving hearing apparatuses.
The elder statesman also joined the governor to launch the Formal Sector Health Insurance Scheme, an Abia State-led Free Medical Outreach targeted at all civil servants as well as public servants.
This is a health package, which had long existed at the federal level and having also been introduced by many states of the federation. For Abia, it pleased God that only Gov. Otti would deem it imperative to introduce the policy to enable Abia workers, who are the automatic enrollees, to join their counterparts in other parts of the country to enjoy the huge and immeasurable benefits of the scheme.
The initiative further illustrates the governor’s unwavering and burning commitment and desire to execute policies, programmes and projects that are capable of enhancing the health and wellbeing of Abia citizens and residents alike, but which eluded them in times past, owing to the selfish, wicked, callous and insensitive political leaders that superintended over the affairs of the state and its people since the return of democratic governance in 1999.
And, indeed, the mother of all the assignments for the former president was the inauguration of the 46.3-kilometer Joe Irukwu Way, which stretches through Umuahia North, Bende and Ohafia Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The road, which deteriorated and suddenly became death traps at different portions, resulting in incessant fatal auto crashes year in, year out, under the shameless watch of the PDP governments of over two decades, traverses Umuahia–Uzuakoli–Ozuitem–Lohum–Nkpa–Umuimenyi–Isuikwuato–Alayi–Item–Igbere–Abiriba Road.
It was rechristened in honour of the former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, a legendary, internationally-acclaimed insurance guru and legal luminary, the late Chief Joe Irukwu (SAN), a prominent son of Item Community in Bende LGA.
Today, the road has miraculously transformed into a delightful and pleasurable means of transportation within and even beyond Abia North boundaries.
And in a speech at its inauguration, OBJ has this to say: “I travelled on this road to Abiriba myself and it was a hellish experience and I spent hours on the road.
“But when I was informed that the road you constructed could take me from Umuahia to Abiriba in just 45 minutes, I said to myself, this man, Alex Otti, is indeed a miracle worker.”
He proceeded further to underscore the importance of fixing the road, saying that it has the potential to “contribute immensely to the socio-economic development of the state and also boost productivity in the area”.
Obasanjo, who has persistently championed the campaign for good governance in Nigeria and other African countries, also spoke on the significance of quality leadership.
According to him, leadership should be about vision, contentment, and discipline and ensuring that all forms of corruption and wastage would not be allowed in that system.
And apparently impressed with Gov. Otti’s exemplary and visionary leadership since he assumed office, he said, “Good leaders are rare and should be fully supported by the people while in office”.
He urged the political class to support any leader that upholds good governance in principle and practice, despite belonging to a different political party, just like Gov. Otti.
He said: “For me, a political party is just a platform, what matters most is the quality of the man, and in Dr Alex Otti, we have found a man of great quality.
“When the time comes for elections, my advice is simple: don’t change a winning horse.”
The warm and superlative endorsement of the present administration by the quintessential sage was coming for the umpteenth time. He has been consistent in his unbiased assessment of Gov. Otti’s outstanding performance and unprecedented achievements in providing exceptionally brilliant and progressive governance to Abia and its good people. Hence, he has not ceased to speak glowingly about his government since he emerged as Abia’s fourth Chief Executive.
And having followed the chequered development trajectory of the state from the days of his estranged “Action Governor”, through Sen. Theodore Ahamefula Orji and Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu – all 24 years of the locusts and cankerworm – his verdict about the Otti-led administration has been forthright and incontrovertible.
When he visited the governor in his Umuehim Nvosi country home in Isialangwa South LGA in March 2024, he had this to say: “The pension scheme for former governors here is atrocious. It’s like daylight robbery because it allows them to have a house in Abuja and elsewhere and cart away with whatever they feel like carting away yet the pension for ordinary people is unpaid. What sort of leadership is that?
“And you came and you said there will be an end to that rascality. I congratulate you and I say to you that I hope that some of your colleagues will follow in your footsteps.
“You have started but you should never be tired.
“You will be discouraged, you will be abused, you will be called names but if we have one-third of our states doing what should be done this country will be a different country and you are doing what should be done.”
The Igbo adage says literally that “when a man is encouraged to sustain what he is doing, it means he is doing well!
Our elder statesman has spoken and as the legendary Chinua Achebe says in his classical novel, Things Fall Apart, “the word of the elders is the word of wisdom”.
That Gov. Otti is a “miracle worker” is incontestible. That he is a “winning horse” is a statement of fact that needs no further proof. And as lawyers will always say, res ipsa loquitur.
The onus lies on us to continue to support the good work of the governor in our different ways and ultimately rally round him when the chips are down, in alignment with the wise counsel of the sage, OBJ, so that we do not lose the winning horse because of our parochial, partisan political interests. To God be the glory.
– Eagle Okoro is a Public Affairs analyst and writes from Umuahia
