FEEDBACK MECHANISM, A HALLMARK IN ALEX OTTI’S GOVERNANCE STYLE.
I am impressed reading from the Representatives of Arochukwu Ohafia Federal Constituency, Honorable Ibe Okwara Osonwa concerning governor Alex Otti’s transformative footprints around the Old government House premises in Umuahia, a product of feedback mechanism from the people.
I had in one of my recent pieces advised the governor to redevelop the Old government House premises by taking more territory towards the valley behind it and possibly even acquiring the forests behind the premises as annex of the government House. This measure if well implemented will enhance the archetectural beauty of Umuahia much better than getting his government involved in the archetectural superflop of so called New Government House project at Igurube layout, exemplified by 16 years of corruption and incompetence.
The New Abia will also be saving costs from continuing with the overbloated structures without aesthetic innovation and coiture. Nothing is more fulfilling than having a governor that listens and is prepared to retrace his steps from incompetent ideas. One thing that is certain from this outing by Ibe Okwara Osonwa in the company of the governor is that we shall have a completed government House soon and not one that will be completed after the life of governor Alex Otti’s administration.
I remember also discussing with the same Honorable Ibe Okwara Osonwa, the Okeabba Ohafia about other specific projects that has today been brought to fruition through active engagement with Dr. Alex Otti. These projects include completion of the Mmuri bridge access, construction of Omenuko bridge, Ozu Abam, reconstruction of Ozu Abam access road to Ndi Okereke to Okobo to Amuvi in Arochukwu which Okeabba told me was about his most important project in Arochukwu Ohafia Federal Constituency (I had also specifically pleaded with the governor to make Ozu Abam to Amuvi Arochukwu, a priority of his first year in office), the completion of the Ohafia to Arochukwu federal highway project which is also receiving adequate attention and which I’m told may be completed by December this year. There’s also the highway from Umuahia to Abiriba to Ohafia which will be commissioned anytime soon having already commissioned the stretch up to Abiriba.
All these are initiatives born out of feedback mechanism processes from the people by a government that also feels the pulse of the people. It is most fulfilling that all the landmark projects i personally discussed with both the governor and Okeabba Ohafia, are all receiving attention and are at various stages of completion due to what we may trendingly characterize as good and responsive government of competent hands.
Only one of these socially impactful projects that i spent time to discuss with Honorable Ibe Okwara Osonwa has failed to take off till date, that is, Okagwe to Nkwebi to Ndi Aku to Oboro linking the Bende/Ohafia road. I am told that this road is a RAMP project of the World Bank. We had discussed the socioeconomic importance of this road access and its imperative in the present day economic, commercial and social realities.
At least five private oilpalm estates of huge commercial impact exists on this road corridor, farm commodities belt ranging from cassava, yam, vegetable, potatoe, pepper etcetera. We need not overemphasize the importance of re-establishing this vital evacuation access route for our farms produce.
It is an ugly spectacle watching tanker trailers all the way from the North to evacuate oilpalm produce getting trapped due to impassable road and needing tow trucks all the way from Portharcourt to rescue it. This road corridor is as well home to a 100,000 population whose daily access depends largely on the road.
Even more critical is the fact that on this Okagwe Oboro link road corridor lies our power supply infrastructure feeding Ohafia from Arochukwu. It needs to be said that the impassable state of that road attracted vandals to cutoff supply to Ohafia which plunged the entire area into prolonged power blackout for 6 years now and still counting. Any deliberate and intentional strategy to restore supply must build-in the re-establishment of the road from Okagwe to Oboro. Simplicita. Whatever it is that is still delaying the takeoff of the Okagwe Oboro road access project must bring all stakeholders together to facilitate its reconstruction and completion.
Along this road corridor lies the future of Ohafia commercial backbone linking the area further at Ekoli Edda, Uburu, Afikpo and Abakaliki. This is a vital commercial nerve center or hub for entire Abia North industrial complex. The Greater Ohafia Development Agency must build its relevance into this road corridor for it to make a desired impact. They should immediately commence the development of a GODA masterplan that creates a backbone around this road infrastructure linking us all the way to Abakaliki and Enugu development corridors.
As I speak, portions of this road corridor up to our border at Ekoli Edda has already been done and delivered by Ebonyi State government some 10 years ago. So if we complete our own portion of less than 10kms from Okagwe, we are less than 1hr from the heart of Ohafia to Abakaliki and 30 minutes to Afikpo. What else do we need to make Ohafia commercial enterprise to link all the way to Abakaliki and to Enugu.
Development is not a rocket science nor is it in anyway a reinvention of the wheel. its a well intentioned and well coordinated policies of government that know how to access the feelings of the people and pluck those figment of ideas back into governance through well established feedback processes. Let us continue to support this one government that listens and feels the pulse of the people’s development strides that brings about our collective transformation.
Dr. Alex Otti, Okeabba Ohafia, I doff my heart for promises so far being kept.
Dr. Engr Odo Ijere
