By Dodor Okafor
Governor Alex Otti has done exceptionally well in the rebuilding, restoration and expansion of our stock of road infrastructure.
By sheer force and a laser-guided determination to get it right, roads that were abandoned for 30 years or more are now in use, we are seeing roads where grasses, rodents and reptiles once made their resting quarters and in places where we once had swamp, what we now see are quality road infrastructure that enhance the appeal of urban neighbourhoods, improves our ease-of-doing-business ranking and enhance economic and social activities.
Things are better for millions of people living in, visiting or doing business in Abia because our road networks are better and now, human beings and goods can travel quicker from points A to B.
The beautiful thing is that these projects are scattered across the State, no LGA is excluded and all road projects are delivered on schedule. Beyond the spread, you also talk about the quality of roads and the commitment of the contractors to execute to the finest details. Talk of leadership, effective supervision and a determination to get it right. Do you know why these quick results are being achieved? Simple: no compromises, not from the Governor, not from umunna, not from party leaders, not from team members and definitely not from those who will claim they “put the Governor there.”
Beyond roads however, there are other areas where significant achievements are being recorded and here, for me, are the 5 outstanding frontiers:
1. Public Buildings: From the Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat to the new structures housing several MDAs in Umuahia the State capital, there is no doubt that the Otti signatures of excellence is boldly and unmistakably written within the offices, conference rooms, reception halls, walkways, parking lots, lawns and just around anywhere you look within the central facilities housing civil servants and senior political appointees in Umuahia. Within the Government House premises also in Umuahia, a whole lot is equally happening starting with the total make over of the Michael Okpara Auditorium which I believe would be opened for public use in a few months when the finishing touches must have been done; the Emeka Omeruah Guest House which now houses important guests of the Governor, cutting down hospitality expenditure for the State Government; the new SSG’s office is also coming up fine, I believe Prof Ken Kalu would be operating from the best facility any SSG in the state has ever functioned from in the next few weeks. The Civil Service Commission has since left the decrepit structure from where they once functioned, to a new facility that provides excellent ambience for optimal productivity. What do we say about the new JAAC Building and its 750 seater auditorium? Have you been there? What do you see? Maybe you may also have to go see things for yourself at the International Conference Centre and how the place is being retrofitted to actually have an “international” appeal. In Aba and Ohafia and other parts of the State, public buildings, abandoned for ages, are getting the much needed attention with the restoration of amenities like light and water supply, expansion of structures to accommodate emerging needs and offer superior service outcomes for the public.
2. Sanitation and environmental cleanliness, outside the major urban centres: Aba is cleaner today than it had ever been at any point in its history, ditto for Umuahia and there is a wide consensus on this. What is however more interesting is that beyond the central urban locations, ASEPA teams are also working hard in places like Uzuakoli, Akara, Ohafia, ABSU, Isialangwa, interior communities in Obingwa and in the places where no-one has ever seen a refuse disposal vehicle before now. ASEPA under Governor Otti has been rated as one of the most effective public institutions and this did not happen for reasons of PR expenditure. No. They worked for it and as an agency that was once regarded as a cesspit of corruption, it has emerged as one of the most active and result-driven public institutions. Indeed, leadership is everything.
3. Recruitment, restoration of public confidence in government and of course, sincere emphasis on merit. Think of the fact that the State recently recruited more than 5, 000 persons into the teaching profession in a seamless, merit-driven process, no “put him there for me,” no “he worked for us in Ukamatamata,” rather just apply, write your test, go for interviews, present your certificates and if you qualify, you are issued an employment letter. If you live in places where things work by the book, this would be no achievement but if you consider the fact that thousands of young men and women paid through their teeth (in cash and in kind) for this same exercise the last time, then you cannot but appreciate that a lot has changed. So we now have more than 5, 000 people who will be adding great value to our economy, doing real work and finding fulfilment in helping to build others. Indeed, the people rejoice when a good man is on the throne.
4. Community engagements: When the administration celebrated its one year anniversary in 2024, it held town hall meetings in the 3 senatorial districts of the State, interacting with community leaders and stakeholders, listening to their concerns and noting the needs of their communities and incorporating same into the development programmes of the State Government subsequently. Part of the fruits of those engagements is the structure and set up of the 2025 budget. Things that we did not get right were corrected and today the development footprints of the government are very widely spread. During the 2nd anniversary celebrations in 2025, the Governor again went round the State, commissioning projects, engaging with stakeholders and finding out where good can be made better and better best. The Governor appreciates the goodwill his administration enjoys across the State but he also wants to listen to the people, know where he needs to pay closer attention and of course, the areas he may not have committed sufficient resources to in pursuit of clear-cut economic and social outcomes. The stakeholder engagement approach to governance gives this government a significant edge over all who came before it and has helped in building trust and goodwill between the government and the communities around the State.
5. Accountability and willingness to engage: Every month, the Governor devotes hours talking to the press, taking questions and providing sincere responses on the policies and programmes of the administration, getting feedback from the average Abian in their homes and making sure that the government is never disconnected from the public. Nothing is ever off the table during these engagements and anyone can ask anything. It is something you don’t find often in this part of the world because it requires significant amount of courage to face the public, have them ask you questions that can throw you off balance and still return the next month to present yourself for a long session of question and answer series. But again, the engagements represents another strategic masterstroke from the administration, the people know what the Governor is thinking, idle speculations are quashed and the people can hear directly from their leader precisely where we are on any matter of great concern to the public, salary to infrastructure, sanitation to erosion control, pensions to political events. Indeed, openness and accountability to the public is the name of the game this time.
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