Alex Otti gears-up to set Abia on the right track 

From PETER OKORE, Umuahia

There are strong indications that the in-coming administration in Abia state, under the governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti, would bring competent, reputable and credible contracting firms to handle road projects in the state to make for durability.

For the past years, road contracts in the state had been awarded to people on party patronage, irrespective of competence and capability . As a result, most of the roads in Abia hardly last up to two years before they collapse.

However, it looks like under the incoming administration of Dr. Otti, a renowned economist and former bank CEO, things would be radically different.

Otti had during his campaigns, promised to address the problem of dilapidated and decaying infrastructures in Abia by bringing Grade “A” and reputable Construction firm to Abia state, in order to make the difference.

In fulfilment of that promise and ahead of his inauguration on 29th May, 2023, Otti invited a team of Julius Berger engineers to take a critical look at some of the roads in Abia.

Based on that premise, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, a team of engineers from the Berger, went on inspection tour of the dilapidated and neglected 5.9km Port Harcourt Road in Aba, the Enyimba City.

The road stretches from Number One Ngwa Road- junction to Ala-Oji Motor spare parts market. BusinessHallmark which was on the entourage recalled that before the outbreak of the Nigeria/Biafra civil war, the Port Harcourt road witnessed a beehive of commercial activities and provided an easy entry- and- exit route, off the major Enugu-Port Harcourt Express-Way, to the commercial city of Aba.

Today the ever-busy road remains a ghost of its old-self . The entire stretch of the now inaccessible and are presently adorned with deep ponds and over-grown grasses.

Little wonder, then that residents seen along the whole length of the road leaped for joy and shouting: “the Messiah” has , at last, come to our aid, after 20 years in darkness.

The residents lamented that though area lacks to any form of amenities, yet government officials tax residents heavily.

A community spokesman seen on site, Mr. Franklin Okafor remarked thus: “ We can now heave a sigh of relief. God bless our governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti and this team who have come to feel our plight in reality. Our hopes were assured on seeing Julius Berger personnel, at least, seen in their beeps (work uniform). This is unlike what we have been seeing and rhetoric’s of government officials in the past 20 years.”

Addressing newsman after the long-trek, Spokesman for the governor- elect, who was part of the inspection team, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma explained that the inspection of the Port Harcourt Road, among others, by the team of engineers, was a prelude to the formal award of contracts for the construction and re-building of roads in the state, which will kick-off after the swearing-in ceremony, a few weeks from today.

He said the involvement of quality contractors to handle roads and infrastructural projects in Abia, was part of measures by the in- coming Otti’s administration to change the narratives in the state, since over 30 years since it was created.

Meanwhile, encomiums and controversies have trailed the inspection of the Port Harcourt road in Aba by the team of engineers from the headquarters of Julius Berger, Abuja.

While a good number of Abians and residents are applauding Otti for bringing Julius Berger Construction Company to handle Roads and infrastructural projects in Abia, others are saying Otti should have waited until he is sworn-in on 29th May, 2023.

Those who hailed the inspection-visit lauded Dr. Otti for his new vision for Abia and implored Abians and other stakeholders to join hands with the new regime to move Abia to greater levels. They cited the level of developments in Enugu, Ebonyi and Akwa-Ibom states, respectively, stressing that same possibilities and potential still exist in Abia, but are not put to use. They are full of hopes for Abia under the leadership of Otti.

In their separate statements condemning the inspection of the Port Harcourt Road by the Julius Berger team, both the chief press secretary (CPS) to the incumbent governor, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka and the Acting Publicity Secretary of Abia state chapter of the PDP, Mr. Abraham Amah, who is also vice chairman for Abia-North senatorial zone of PDP, sounded to have misunderstood that inspection for “flag-off” of the road rehabilitation by Otti.

Both, however, appeared to differ in their references to the actual contractor the sitting government handed over the reconstruction of the road. Each had a different name for the contractor on site; but were unanimous that the inspection by Otti and the engineering team was a usurpation of the powers of the sitting governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.

But in a Radio-Audience -participation programme monitored in Umuahia, Amah gave his words that Otti should have waited until he is sworn-in on May, 29, 2023 and studied the hand-over documents coming from Ikpeazu before embarking on the inspection of roads.

He asserted that the inspection violated some procedures and protocols in the award of contracts, pointing out that a loan of N50billion had already been procured from the African Development Bank, AfDB, for that road and other roads in Aba, by the present administration.

“How can he, Otti, award such a contract without knowing the contract value and other details?” he asked.

In a sharp response, spokesman for Otti, Ekeoma made it clear that as an Abian, who had been elected to serve his people, it was out of place for Otti to wait till May 29th before inspecting Roads within his vicinity.

His words: “ Otti did not go there to flag-off the contract for the road. He was not even there. He merely invited some engineers from Julius Berger to come and see the nature of the roads in Abia. Over N10Billion are assumed to have been spent on that Port Harcourt road, without anything on ground to show for it. Due processes would be followed in due time before contracts are awarded. Where there is a good relationship between the incumbent and the in-coming governor, governor-elect Dr. Otti should have been receiving daily briefs from Okezie Ikpeazu and his administration. But nothing of such is happening, except blackmail and mudslinging from the out-going party, PDP. Let us have good faith”.

In the opinion of contributors to the programme, the PDP should not put Abia on fire because they lost in the 2023 election.

They noted that the ruling party have had their turns for 24 years and Abia had been in pains.

Otti, they said, is on a rescue and transformation mission to Abia and all should give him every co-operation to help him achieve the enormous tasks facing his regime as a result of long years of neglect and bad governance.

According to them: “ We celebrate the new contract moves by Otti. Abia is now entering into the era of quality leadership. We want to enjoy what states like Ebonyi, Akwa-Ibom and other states are enjoying through quality, credible and good governance. Let us work together to lift Abia. The political class should eschew bickering, hatred, mudslinging, blackmailing and other wranglings and work like a family”.

In all. all hands are on deck to ensure a smooth , successful and hitch- free handover of the realms of government on the 29th of May 2023 at the Umuahia Township stadium, Umuahia.

Both the sitting governor, Ikpeazu and Dr Alex Otti have set-up their respective transition committees and are working hard to achieve their targets and objectives.

They are tasked to produce a policy document that would give a direction and developmental agenda for Abia State, in line with Otti’s vision for the state and campaign promises.

Dr Alex Otti in his remarks to his committee noted that one of the challenges facing Nigeria and Abia is leadership failure, adding that some civil servants and pensioners have not been paid for several years.

In her keynote address to the ceremony, the director of World Trade Organisation, WTO, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala who spoke virtually reminded Dr. Otti that Abia has a lot of human resources he should tap from and urged him to be innovative against the previous ways of doing things.

Dr Iweala encouraged Otti to tap into the Abia diaspora base, emphasize on SMEs, power and run transparent and accountability government.

Okonjo-Iweala also urged Abia citizens abroad, who have the capacity to assist in recovering the state and upgrade development, to return and help out.

She expressed the hope that through Otti, “there is a unique chance to set Abia on the right side of development and modernisation through disruptive digital technology”.

The DG of World Trade Organisation advised the governor-elect to think of how to make Abia function in line with the modern world and join the train into the future of humanity.

ON his own, the sitting governor, Ikpeazu said that his administration will be leaving behind solid road maps that will assist the incoming administration to fast track the development of the State.

Speaking at the Government House Umuahia while receiving the 541-page report of the Visitation Panel to the Abia State University, Ikpeazu argued that since the business of governance is a continuum, his administration has ensured that his successor will have carefully designed road maps to help navigate through the challenges of development.

The Governor stated that his administration had earlier concluded the first ever Abia State Long Term Development Plan which was done with International Development agencies, the first ever Abia State Industrial Policy which was prepared with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the first ever Master Plans for Aba and Umuahia, and now the full report of the Abia State University Visitation Panel.