These idea of using the Igbo to score and whip up cheap political sentiments can only be permitted by the ignorance of the those who have chosen to make themselves cheap pawns otherwise Abia State has position itself to receive and warehouse all businesses and investments of every Nigerian, even in a more secure environment
If there is any credit Abians and critic of the previous PDP administrations that ran the state aground will give to the ousted infamous administration, it is in their inability and ignorance to leave the state a virgin undeveloped land for a man with a vision, the capacity and is prepared to turn a rock to bread.
In Abia state today, there is plenty of bread to eat, and most importantly you will eat your bread in peace in a very clean environment.
More so, you can open your own bakery and begin to bake your own bread almost immediately.
Bread is money but you must know how to bake it and be willing to spend ample time in the bakery.
The Governor, Dr. Alex Otti have been busy making good use of every available opportunity in the virgin land to make bread for all to eat in peace, from a region once ridiculed as the most backward, filthy and unproductive, courtesy of the failure of ignorant political state actors to see the vast field of fertile farmlands across Abia, energetic workforce and regional connectivity to trade and commerce.
Abia shares close boundary with about 7 or 8 states that derives the strength of their commerce from the commercial city of Aba even extending to as far as nearby Western states.
Governor Alex Otti’s commitment in rebuilding collapsed internal road infrastructure, putting in place a well organized administrative system void of the usual frustrating bureaucracy of lazy and ignorant workforce has reopened Abia for business and like the baker in the heat of the bakery the governor has been engaged in reopening one of the major economic routes closed for over 2 decades, the Aba-Port Harcourt Road, an ambitious project that will activate multi business interest from Aba to the Abia Innovative Industrial Park, (AIIP) and riding down to the Garden City of Oil and Crude, Port Harcourt.
At the completion of the road, Aba and Port Harcourt shall become one hotbed of commerce doing regular trips in less than 40 minutes.
The interest and coming in of Ohaneze Ndigbo
The crisis of destruction of business centers and residence of hardworking Nigerians of South East extraction in Lagos and Abuja is not new but the recent actions by the Lagos State government led by the Governor Sanwo Olu administration against specifically settlements where the Igbos have turned rock to bread has raised the concerns of the apex Igbo Socio-Cultural body, the Ohaneze Ndigbo to call on all Diaspora Igbos to begin to take decisive actions to relocate their businesses to safe location in the South East.
When we use the word “Diaspora” to address the Igbos, it refers to all individuals of South East region residing and doing business outside the Igbo land. “We have a culture that distinguishes us from the average Nigerian and that culture of courage, commerce and the art of turning rocks to bread and making water to flow in the desert which has been exemplified in the Alex Otti led Labour party government, This I am made to believe has prompted Ohaneze to go on air calling on the attention of the Igbos to begin to consider home fast.
That home is here in Abia State because this is where all that attributes of the average Igbo man is exhibited, whereas I would say, Abia in the previous year’s unfortunately fell into the hands of criminals and ignorant fellows. Today, that Abia you used to know is gone and buried for a New Abia State that has become the toast for business people and investors all over the world.
Reason is; Abia today has become one of the safest locations to do business, clean and with a very organized administrative system in the hands of competent professionals selected from all fields of enterprise.
In the previous Abia State, it was common to read beautiful stories or grace life sized images of political state actors or the governor emblazoned on billboards screaming of nonexistent infrastructural amenities or praising the governor to high heavens.
While the individuals engaged in this unwholesome fraudulent attitude of deception smiled to the bank the state was completely left abandoned for ages and for over 20 years, the state wealth of resources both human, capital and political were buried in filth in this one time South East Commercial Nerve center.
Today, all that is history as committed and sincere effort has been put in place by the Alex Otti led labour Party government to prepare the state to receive Igbos from Lagos, Kano, Abuja, and from the overseas. If you enter the capital city Umuahia, opportunity exists for the building of service apartments, logistics company, private shuttle services and hotels. These amenities were never there or very scanty, so visitors were scared away. Now you have a government that is passionate about bringing into existence businesses that were never in existence and reviving moribund industries that should not only boost employment but boost the population of the state as young Nigerians in search of jobs begin to give Abia a priority consideration.
More so, it is relatively easy to get a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from the state government on any landed property in 30 days therefore I am yet to understand while people of South East descents should continue to expose themselves and their hard earned businesses to harm and destruction by people who never wanted them in the first place.
These idea of using the Igbo to score and whip up cheap political sentiments can only be permitted by the ignorance of the those who have chosen to make themselves cheap pawns otherwise Abia State has position itself to receive and warehouse all businesses and investments of every Nigerian, even in a more secure environment and whatever has happened to Abia state in the past were as a result of the application of a wrong system which has never and cannot create wealth anywhere but today I am very convinced to state that it is the political system which enhances the enterprise of the people and gives it the framework within to operate. That political system can only be decided by a leadership that is people oriented and trusted by the people, this is the situation in Abia today and it has dealt with all that fears of Abia of yesterday.
The Labour Party government led by H.E. Alex Otti has exemplified every attributes of a government who genuinely cares about the people it governs, their environment and their socio-economic situation therefore what other thing is the Igbo business man in Lagos and Abuja is waiting for.
I welcome you to the New Abia.
Njoku Jerry Ajike is the State Publicity Secretary, Labour Party, Abia
