“There is no better anniversary celebration for the people of Abia than to heed to the clarion call of bonding with the great sacrifice the governor has established in governance, discipline, sincerity of purpose and people to people relationship to build a homeland of economic success, peace and prosperity for all.”
By Njoku SaintJerry A.
Few days ago, the social media space was awash with congratulatory messages and encomiums on the leadership of the New Abia led by H.E. Dr. Alex Otti, the executive governor, as it marks 34th anniversary of the state creation from the Old Imo State.
Government aides, citizens, friends and admirers had jostled for media recognition on whose greetings will be loudest, and most importantly, friends of all shades and sizes from all corners of the political and social divide had used the occasion to warm up to the leader of the New Abia.
In the entire media buzz that swirled across various media platforms one message remains strikingly uncompromising, an excerpt from the anniversary speech of the Executive governor – the promise to build a State that works for its people and the ‘golden’ request by the governor to the political aides, friends and government staffs who by default constitutes the citizenry, Gov. Otti had used the occasion to call on the Abia state people to “take active interest in the political and social progress of their communities and make a firm commitment to support the efforts of the government to make Abia truly the number one State.”
In previous administrations of the state, the governor by now would have had a warehouse loaded with award plaques alongside those advertorials of ‘goodwill messages and shouts of solidarity.’
However, Otti had never failed to prove his mettle, like he knew all men, a cautious mind reader. On his first day at the podium at Umuahia Township Stadium as Executive Governor of the New Abia, he echoed; “keep to that award you never gave me before now until we have completed the job of governance then you can appraise us”
Before now, Abia had existed for over 3 decades with each administration, its own brand of praise singers and those jostling for a space to gain the governor’s attention by decorating the man at the head with divers unsolicited awards and accolades while the cities and its infrastructure decays by days and months until the infamous “Abia stinks” claim by Igbo billionaire Arthur Eze.
It is not enough to show how much you love the ‘People’s governor Alex Otti’ by your social media validation and shouts of praise, the Governor foretold every phase that the state is undergoing today, the reconstruction from scratch, the discipline he was going to bring into governance and the rebuilding of a homeland that every citizens is going to be proud of, there is no coincidence, it was a deliberate attempt to reconstruct the Abia of everyone’s dream. Those of us from the Diaspora that took part in his campaigns saw it from afar and we joined the train of the local politics to see to the actualization of this great dream.
Nevertheless, one request remains ‘golden and sublime,’ patriotic and characterizes ‘true religion’ for those of us who profess to pray always and goes to Church often to pray for the New Abia.
Gov Otti said; “It is squarely in our hands to create the future we want our children to live in and we have no reason to fail them.”
This year anniversary celebration, in line with Gov Otti’s statement should “presents us an excellent opportunity to recommit ourselves to the values of excellence, industry and good neighbourliness”
Now the golden questions remains, what is good neighbourliness and who is the ‘us’
There is no better anniversary celebration for the people of Abia than to heed to the clarion call of bonding with the great sacrifice the governor has established in governance, discipline, sincerity of purpose and people to people relationship to build a homeland of economic success, peace and prosperity for all.
For the past 30 years plus, there has always been a celebration of the anniversary of the birth of Abia State, and everything returns to statusquo immediately after the hype, on previous occasions, with many award plaques exchanging hands. Not anymore, there is a new Sheriff in town and he means business.
The Abia that existed in the past is dead and buried, however and unfortunately, the actor of that old Abia remains active observers and sometimes under the cover of ‘the oppositions’ while governor Otti works and continue to commit to the sacrifice of rebuilding this once declared ‘failed state’ into a working region with a functional government in action providing every necessary amenities that contributes to economic success and social progress.
Evidence abounds, of legacy projects, The iconic Omenuko Bridge leading to Abia’s emerging third Urban region in Ohafia after Umuahia and Aba, which opening coincides with the anniversary celebration, The Aba-Port Harcourt Road, the Arochukwu-Ozu Abam route, the Umuahia-Alayi-Abiriba long route and so many others, space will not permit to put in ink.
Finally, when the Governor says in his speech; that we should “take active interest in the political and social progress of our communities and make a firm commitment to support the efforts of the government” in making the state a viable place for all. He simply admonishes every Abia state indigene to shun those attitudes that discourages harmonious social integration among individuals of all interests including religion and political affiliations.
This is the best congratulatory messages and claim of solidarity with the leadership of the New Abia, We should not make enemies for the governor, We should not alienate ourselves from every little contribution that will bring the kind of development we yearn earnestly for in rebuilding our homeland.
“The torch has been passed onto us and the light must be made to shine even brighter.” Says Gov. Otti.
