Politics
Gov Otti reopens Abak Street Road, says it’s access to opportunities, prosperity
Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti, on Tuesday reopened Abak Street Road in Aba for public use after reconstruction.
Speaking during the reopening ceremony, Governor Otti said the goal of his administration is to build an extensive network of roads that seamlessly connects individuals from their homes to their places of business, drastically cutting down time spent in commute and at the same time, expand the appeal of our urban destinations.
According to him, the administration has in the last 18 months executed infrastructure development projects that enhance ease of doing business for large community of entrepreneurs, and creates a sense of pride for the residents and ultimately make the city of Aba economically and socially competitive.
“The singular most important promise of our administration is that no stone shall be left unturned in the determined push to rebuild Abia and restore the public infrastructure of our cities,” he said.
“The primary target is to improve the living condition of the general population, increase the output of goods and services and ultimately, create an environment that supports the entrepreneurial energy of our population. Every stretch of road, every street and every community is considered very important in the development agenda because in our framework, every dot is connected to a larger picture.
“The Administration’s goal is to build an extensive network of roads that seamlessly connects individuals from their homes to their places of business, drastically cutting down time spent in commute and at the same time, expand the appeal of our urban destinations. What we have done in Aba in the last 18 months is to execute infrastructure development projects that enhance ease of doing business for our large community of entrepreneurs, creates a sense of pride for the residents and ultimately make the City economically and socially competitive. The opportunities of the modern economy can only be exploited by strategic positioning, purposeful leadership and a robust understanding of how the specific and general advantages of our communities can be scaled to achieve prosperity for all.
“On this note distinguished ladies and gentlemen, let me warmly welcome you to the formal reopening of Abak Street in Aba, a road that means so much to the Aba business and social elites. Let me appreciate you for the honour of your esteemed presence and specially thank the entire Aba community for the continuing support and goodwill towards the Government. We are encouraged by your unrelenting commitment to the success of this administration. We shall continue to work hard to justify the huge confidence you have collectively reposed in us. Thank you for believing in, and cooperating with us.
“This Road was left in a state of deterioration for so long, not entirely because of paucity of funds but mostly for the fact that those who ought to have fixed it before now never understood that this is more than just your average street road, but a gateway to several important destinations that drive the heartbeat of the City itself. No serious Government should have allowed a road with significant social and economic values such as this to go bad because of the fallout on employment, wealth redistribution and general standard of living.
“A single pothole on any road is not just a point of inconvenience to drivers but an emerging obstacle to the productivity of the larger population. What we have done since taking over the reins of power is to develop a new culture of taking responsibility, prudent use of public resources and firm commitment to the important task of correcting the errors and bad decisions made in ignorance, mischief or pursuit of self-interest by those who should have known better.
“What we celebrate at events like this is not necessarily the infrastructure itself but a new governance awareness that places service above self interest. This Road, and similar projects in all parts of the State, were initiated and completed simply because we have a new leadership that understands its obligations, the social contract it entered into, and the expectations of the public.
“In the New Abia, we don’t just pour asphalts on the ground and take to the streets in celebration. No! Our approach is more comprehensive which is why, in addition to building roads that are durable, we also incorporate drainage channels, street-lights powered by renewable energy sources, and other structural features that make for ease of use by drivers and pedestrians and then for urban aesthetics. Every road project for us is an opportunity to tell the story of our hunger for success and point us to the difference a focused leadership can make in the way we interact with the environment over a relatively short period of time. Safety, durability and environmental sustainability are given priority in all the road project designs because we believe that we do not deserve anything less than the best.
“The target is not only to build roads that last but to guarantee that the taxpayers are able to get commensurate value for every penny committed to the construction and rehabilitation of every stretch of road. Besides, we are very mindful of the fact that there may be need for periodic maintenance and repairs as vehicular traffic increases. We have responded to this by creating the right support structures at the State Ministry of Works to drive all routine maintenance activities on our roads. This is the reason we set up the Direct Labour Agency in the ministry. This initiative has in addition to keeping much of our roads in good shape, saved us tens of billions of naira that would have been paid to external contractors as the agency is undertaking and also building roads like we pointed out at the commissioning of Dozie Way, Umuahia, last week..
“The State has been able to achieve so much in the areas of road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance because we appreciate the importance of roads as great economic enablers in every society. The installation of streetlights on our road projects is done to achieve the triple objectives of improving security, especially at night, supporting genuine entrepreneurs who work till late in the night, and to eliminate the fear and anxiety that come with darkness so that our people can move about freely at any time of the day or night, in pursuit of their different legitimate interests. We are glad that our promise of building a 24-hour economy in the State is beginning to materialise because people are no longer in a hurry to close their business premises and run home once it’s sunset for fear of the unknown.
“The general enthusiasm at events like this tells the story of appreciation by a grateful public. But it also reminds us that there is no room for failure or even complacency because while this City celebrates and longs for success, it also responds harshly to failure and betrayal. We may not get everything right at the same time but I can assure you that we shall never stop trying as you will always be the priority in our considerations. Our long term target of developing a new urban economic corridor for our brothers in the diaspora and elsewhere who wish to diversify their investment holdings will be actualised here. The message today and everyday will always be the same thing: Aba is the place to be. Do not let the opportunities that abound here to pass you by.
“I would conclude by inviting us to remain law abiding and be true to our obligations as citizens and major stakeholders in the New Abia Project. I invite us to take collective ownership of all public property and projects in our domains, resist the activities of vandals and cooperate with the security agencies to keep criminals away from our communities and neighbourhoods.
“May I remind us once again that public roads are major government investments built with our collective resources. It is wrong and unacceptable to use these roads for trading, vehicle repairs, car wash or any sort of activities that would affect the durability, or diminish the economic and social importance of the road. As you may know, the State Government frowns very strongly at all forms of street trading, While we continue to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of our people, we are advised to go about our business pursuits the right way, without obstructing the economic and social interests of others. We encourage those seeking to do all kinds of business to locate the right environment and conduct their business activities within those premises without any form of harassment. This Government, I can assure you, will do everything within its power to protect taxpayers’ funds committed to the development of public infrastructure projects such as this.
“My expectation is that this Road will not just revive economic activities in this part of Aba, I can envision that it will also add to the growing confidence of investors in the City, opening the doors for the inflow of new capital in the medium to long term. Do not be left out of the economic miracle that is fast developing before our very eyes as the State Government and members of the organised private sector come together to build synergy that would create new channels of prosperity for our people.”
