A PANORAMIC SERIES ON THE NEW ABIA GOVERNMENT @3:
The Rise and Rise of God’s Own State.
By Engr. Chief Odo Ijere
Light eventually came at the end of the tunnel for Abia State with the inauguration on the 29th of May, 2023, of Governor Dr. Alex Otti of Labor Party. A combination of factors and political coalition across the state played out during the election to outplay and overwhelm the incumbent PDP government in the state. The political tsunami during the election occasioned by the Obidients, the civil servants, market women, civil society organizations, social media roller-coaster, youth and students fury rendered a decisive victory.
Dr. Alex Otti, as expected, dedicated the victory to God and the people’s resilience. This position defined his policies and actions in the last three years to give back to the people through good governance and conscientious leadership. The new leadership was thus rebranded as New Abia in keeping with his vow to rekindle development in the state in a manner not seen since the coming back of democracy in 1999.
Dr. Alex Otti, himself a technocrat, an economist, banker, and philanthropist came as a round peg in a round hole. He also came prepared for the arduous task at hand even though he went short of promising magic to Abians. His governance templates and priorities soon got everybody on notice and talking. He hit the ground running, and at unimaginable speed. Three years along the line, Abia has turned to an economic miracle. What really happened?
A number of factors combined together to put the state on a speed lane of economic and political transformation. We shall examine the governing ethos, the innovations, the driving philosophy and the game changers that redefined governance and took everybody in a storm and put Abia on the footnote of development paradigms of not only the national limelight but on international kaleidoscope:
The Governor Otti Factor.
Dr. Alex Otti is a rare gem in strategy, critical visioning, discipline, robust thinker, timing, astuteness, precision, quality, and above all sired in great acumen, wisdom and wits. These combination are a gift he harnesses for effective leadership. This has impacted on project deliveries and deliverables, relationships with the governed and aides. Thus, it is possible to be celebrating more than 300 projects within 3 years of coming into office. It’s not magic but productive thinking.
The Governor’s Team of Advisers.
Apart from the governor’s kitchen cabinet members, special advisers, and assistants, Dr. Alex Otti relies heavily on some rare breeds of elected representatives of the people for advice. He’s always in the company of some of our best federal legislators whose occasional inputs he seeks from time to time to cross fertilize ideas and strategies. He’s a governor that also listens. Those who stand out among these wise men include Honorable Obi Aguocha, Honorable Ibe Okwara Osonwa, Honorable Amobi Ogah et al. The governor also has among his closest aides, the First Lady, Mrs. Priscilla Otti. He also, from time to time, taps on notable personalities in the state for advice, among whom are Dr. Uche Samson Ogah, Ugo ena of Abiriba, Chief Bourdex Onuoha, Chief Jackson Agbai, Chief John Udeagbala and other towering business icons in the state. No wonder he runs the state like a business outfit. These men and women impact greatly and positively on the state runs.
Building Trust Among the Multinational Donor Agencies:
The governor soon after inauguration in 2023 reached out to his friends among the local and international financiers linked to him in the banking world to support his government. They came with innovations and business ideas that quickly lifted the state out from the woods. His career in banking, which offers him great leverage at the negotiation table ensured that international donor projects were attracted to the state. The governor knew how to structure the deals being his familiar territory of operation. The state has benefited immensely through counterpart funding that he readily negotiates and pays out the state’s equity participation.
The New Abia under Governor Alex Otti is today beneficiary of multi-billion Naira international donor projects in public utilities, health and educational institutions, etcetera. To say his professional exposure is of great benefit to the state is to state the facts modestly. Since coming on stream in the state, the governor has attracted multinational finance institutions like AfriExim bank, AfDB, China Construction and Civil Engineering Group, Islamic Development Bank, Julius Berger contractor finance, etcetera. These were the business models negotiated to convert the state to one huge construction ecosystem.
The Appointment of Billionaires as Mayors of LGAs:
Three months into Dr. Alex Otti’s administration, he broke the idea of appointing mayors to the local governments from among the business Billionaires and iconic personalities in the state. His reason then was that he wouldn’t want to appoint people to the LGAs that would see it as opportunity to build their first houses or buy their first cars, saying that it was the reason why our LGAs were running deficit in all spheres of development. This innovation paid off and he was proved right. These Billionaires rebranded and turned most of the relics in the 17 LGAs in Abia into halo of redevelopment and relish. This policy as much as it was criticized by the opposition proved to be one of the best development drivers under the New Abia.
Building Roads As Intentional Policy Theme of the New Abia:
“A Chinese proverb says that if you want to create wealth, first build road”. In keeping with this Chinese dictum, no sector brought more fame and fanfare to the New Abia administration of Dr. Alex Otti than the roads construction sector. His intentional policy of roads and catarpilla revolution went viral amid multiplication of economic benefits. Before the coming of Alex Otti in 2023, Abia was a cesspit of ruins with virtually all roads in utter disrepair. Abia was like a war zone without motorable roads. A policy that would begin to fix the roads was inevitable and truly touched the hearts of the people. With more than 300 roads either fixed or built across the three zones of the state, economic and commercial activities in the state are back to life and booming. Some of the critical road projects like Portharcourt Road, Aba, Onuimo to Tower dualization, tower to Okpara square dualization, Umuahia to Igbere to Abiriba to Ohafia road project, Ozu Abam to Ndi Okereke to Amuvi project, Ohafia to Umuchiakuma to Ututu to Arochukwu project, Nunya to Eluama to Ngodo Isiukwuato road project, Okigwe to Uturu project, etcetera. Things are looking really good for everybody.
GADA, GODA and Greater Umuahia Urban Renewal Initiatives:
The greater Aba development agency, Greater Ohafia Development agency and Greater Umuahia Development agency are initiatives that are bringing economic stimulus and multipliers to the three development zones. The urbanization programs spiraling in these three leading cities or towns, viz Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia are already creating economic and commercial hubs to integrate development in the entire State. These development agencies are without doubt an economic game changer of the Alex Otti New Abia government.
Aba as an Economic and Commercial Epicenter of Manufacturing and Marketing Hub:
At inception of the administration of Dr. Alex Otti’s government, there were calls by development economists, strategists and experts that fixing Aba alone would resolve 50 percent of Abia State problems and thus become the ultimate game changer for the NewAbia. While much of Aba is now open to commercial, industrial and manufacturing activities, a lot more still needs to be done. But the truth is that most of the praises and aplomb being rained on Alex Otti are on account of his intentionality towards resolving the socioeconomic problems of the Enyimba city, Aba. Dr. Alex Otti had a solemn secret vow to get Aba right.
Praises must go to the governor for modernization of a good number of the markets and opening access to many more, improving the hygiene situation of Aba and creating an atmosphere of environmental friendliness. 24/7 Power has also been restored to manufacturing clusters and industrial estates like Ossisioma, old brewery, Ariaria, Ekeoha etal. The shoe making industry in Aba is springing back to life. So are the garment industry, building materials, leatherworks, machine tools industry, spare parts, tricycle assembly, motorcycles assembly, etcetera. Within just three years of fixing Aba, manufacturing has returned, commercialization is on the ascendancy, businesses that relocated from the state are now back, properties that hitherto went under are hitting the goldmines. The rescue operation of the Enyimba city is a mission that we will say is almost accomplished.
To be continued.
Okpotemba Ohafia.
