“When you invest in what matters most to the people and their environment, the good news emanating from Abia State today will continue to prove critics wrong of a government that is focused and working to lift the people and their environment up from unproductive economic situations to a better developed society for all concerned”
The good news of responsible governance emanating from Abia State today is not a coincidence. This is the result of a clear, well thought out strategy, meticulously executed by the Gov. Alex Otti led Labour party government.
During the campaign for the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Abia State that produced the present Labour party led government, one particular event remained remarkable and it continued to influence the migration and adoption of Otti’s candidacy by several political actors sincerely committed to the rescue of the then dying state.
That event was the presentation of the Otti’s manifesto to the people of Abia state, a very concise work the governor had declared, he sat down and meticulously produced the document that will serve as a guiding principle, a map of the journey to the New Abia. You couldn’t have read that glazed and neatly arranged publication and not take a second thought at what was coming – an epoch of a socio-political and economic revolution that was about to unfold.
As a Diaspora leader involved in the campaigns, with a feeling of disgust at what the then Abia State political gladiators has made of the state, filthy, completely laid back and disorganized with hordes of state made sycophants singing the praise of politicians dishing out meal tickets, I had a first-hand witness of an investment in self bloated ego and vanity, virtually every public office at that time had a life size poster and portraits of the man at the helm of Abia’s economy. Billboards across major spot do not advertise any business other than the man at the helm of Abia’s dying economy, every public building, commuter vehicles, even presenters at the radio stations take turns to announce their presence like men and women under a bewitched influence to sing the praise of the man at the helm of that old Abia’s dying and miserable situation or be fired.
Virtually nothing appeared to be working, from the capital city of Umuahia, decorated at ever corner with garbage and abandoned, to the dilapidated government House, to the State government offices that has not a single functional amenities other than tons of torn files and idle staffs enmeshed in past time gossips. It was such a sorry situation that could discourage anyone that wants something better for his homeland.
Fortunately the Otti’s manifesto had an abridged version that summarized the template of what we were going to do once in government, there was going to be a complete overhaul of Abia’s physical and socio-economic infrastructure since 1999 of its journey to its present democratic dispensation, a feat that appeared as mere campaign promises, there was going to be a reinvestment in physical, social and inclusion of a digital infrastructure including human capacity.
There was a very clear strategy and a disciplined approach to implement what the manifesto had promised.
First, the governor do not take to praise singing and billboard showman to woo the citizenry whom by now have been so traumatized and demoralized at the sight of those enjoying political positions of authority and he made a public declaration regarding that position;
“Do not give me any award nor any member of my cabinet until we have finished the job we have been assigned to do;, this was one of my first challenge as a political office holder, several private institutions had approached me to see the possibilities of organizing award ceremonies for Governor Alex Otti and I had merely refer them to his public statement of rejection of any form of award party until his tenure is over.
Secondly, at the time of Otti’s emergence, Umuahia was a very disorganized capital city with about 10,000 ‘Keke’ plying daily from the major entrance into the city, it has no organized transport system, packs of touts run the show at every bus stop, perhaps working for several stakeholders of the infamous previous administration, the same situation applies in Aba, with about 50,000 keke dazzling across every corner of the streets a day.
If you have been to Lagos city and made use of the public ‘danfo’ buses and witnessed the madness between the ‘Mc Oluomo gangs’ and bus owners then you will perhaps have a fair knowledge of what was happening in Abia before the emergence of the Otti’s government and it cuts across virtually all sectors of public service.
There was a complete breakdown of any sign of responsible governance in Abia State, everyone was taking from government by every means necessary until Gov Otti unfolded a chapter from his manifesto that was focused on dealing with the menace of a lawless revenue collection system – The digital infrastructure.
Last time I took a ‘keke’ ride, I engaged the driver and he disclosed the experience as one of the best gift of the Otti’s administration to transport owners, Why and How I asked; He said; there is a digitalized system of revenue collection that has removed the burden of extortion by touts working for several political stakeholders and the free for all stealing from the people’s collective welfare, The commercial riders pays a one-off daily revenue through an APP that transmits payment and issue receipts in seconds, now there are even vendors that operates this APP and make some small change for themselves. No touting and nobody molesting any hardworking citizens of the state for the selfish interest of his godfather.
The payment system that has been introduced cuts across several government revenue windows and has boosted the IGR of the Otti’s government by a wide margin engaging the over 50,000 daily keke riders, market operators and other payment avenues that had once served as conduit of siphoning state funds.
Now speaking about the social infrastructure, it continue to amaze me when I read the recent onslaught by critics of the Otti’s government asking for evidence of the Otti’s budgetary expenditure especially by shameless former state political actors that had contributed into Abia’s infamous past of failure.
Across the 17 LGA’s in Abia state, there is virtually any region of the three senatorial districts that is not receiving upgrade of its physical infrastructure that once completely disconnected the citizenry from the government, a typical example is the ‘Omenuko Bridge’ in Abam, driving from Umuahia through Bende Road, this less than 50 meters bridge has been a deathtrap and abandoned for almost two decades of past administrations without recourse to the people’s life and businesses plying through this route, the same situation applies to the infamous Aba-Port Harcourt road that is near completion, the same situation applies to Umuahia and the entire public facilities that once characterized the city as ‘center of filth and irresponsibility in governance’.
Umuahia is undergoing a complete reconstruction of its decrepit infrastructure that no resident of the once rustic capital can deny except those that have become uncomfortable with a government that has come to prove to Abians that development is possible and stagnation and underdevelopment witnessed in the past in Abia state was a deliberate act to continue to impoverish the people in order to keep them in perpetual manipulation.
One of the exemplary social infrastructure that is certain to give ultimate definition of the New Abia will be the Umuahia Transport Terminal, it will serve a center of activity and business connecting the rest of the 3 Senatorial districts of Abia, this is not one of those billboard project of hoax that characterized the previous administration, work is ongoing as I write and the governor has conducted one or two impromptu visit to inspect the quality of construction.
The Otti’s labour party led government is living up to its promises of a people oriented government which serves as one of the hall marks of Labour party with the implementation of one of the most crucial chapters of the Otti’s template, a program on inclusive growth that is designed to accommodate every member of the Abia State residents to enjoy the dividends of quality governance and take part in the ongoing reconstruction process in the state, this is what has brought about the connectivity of the rural road networks to nearby towns to boost the transfer of farm produce to nearby towns and it is yielding fruits of fulfillment in governance.
Space will not permit me to delve into the security situation in Abia that has been adjudged as one of the safest and conducive region in Nigeria today to relocate your family and business to, these are results of proper planning and strategic implementation of what matters most to the people and their environment.
The underlying factor is when you invest in what matters most to the people and their society, the good news emanating from Abia today will continue to prove critics wrong of a government that is focused and working to lift the people and their environment up from unproductive economic situations to a better developed society.
Njoku Jerry A is an Ambassador with the State Of African Diasporas (SOAD), He writes from Ohafia
