By Jones Ike

Like a good opening gambit in a game aof chess, Dr. Alex Otti, the Governor-elect of Abia State, inaugurated a 100-member Transition Council on Friday, April, 14, 2023. The committee which some discerning observers have since dubbed the “100 wise men” were drawn from diverse backgrounds. Most were top professionals in their chosen vocations as well as being people of means. Their diverse backgrounds include Medicine, Law, Accounting, Politics, Media, ICT, Business and Industry, the Academia, Arts, the Bureaucracy, etc.

And so, on the appointed day, the invitees turned out in their numbers at the luxurious Danyu Hotel by the Aba Riverside, a little bit hidden from the echoes of the Enyimba City which made it a perfect place for such conference. The choice of Aba was in itself symbolic of the new policy direction which the governor-elect wants to toe .Such policy direction was aptly reflected in his inauguration speech when he asserted that “we have chosen Aba for this inauguration today because Aba is the heart beat of Abia economy despite the fact that it has been abandoned for many years by successive administrations”. “We want to build an industrial hub with steady power supply, renewable energy and other solid infrastructure for the economy of the state”. 

The assemblage of such an important think tank to help in laying a solid policy framework for the smooth take off of the incoming administration as the Chairman of the Council, Victor Onyenkpa, put it distinctly, “to help in defining the path way that will make an Abia Miracle possible”, “to produce the road map for its achievement”. A miracle that both the Abia as well as the national and global community earnestly expect from Dr Alex Otti. It also has to be noted that the call for help which the assemblage of such an august body implies is in itself a sign of humility, an admission of a limitation in knowledge despite being an acknowledged first-class brain and a foremost economist, banker, financial expert and writer in Nigeria. It is indeed an expression of an honest, wise and courageous leadership which the state desperately needs.

And so, as the members sat inside the hall listening with rapt attention to the speeches as the opening ceremonies commenced, the hall and the setting had all the ingredients of a digitalized world. The secretariat was manned by smart, young and intelligent professionals who were quite very courteous. They were also drawn from diverse backgrounds and from different regions of the country, North, South, West, East and Niger Delta.

They administered the secretariat and provided background information in a most efficient manner. The setting of the hall and secretariat gave discerning minds an inkling into what an Alex Otti run government will look like and that is an efficient government that will be run by smart and intelligent people, where information and services will be provided in a most effective way.

To further buttress the serious business of the day, Nigeria’s poster brainchild and current Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala came alive virtually to give what could be termed a world class key note address, whereby she threw up challenges that will help leap frog the state’s development trajectory. The sermon included an urgent need for disruptive strategies rather than the traditional way of thinking. Other tasks she gave included finding ways to attract international business into the state and raising the local supply chain, increasing access to power especially renewable energy for households, increasing internally generated revenue, making Aba the focal point of infrastructural development and giving urgent attention to health care especially in the realm of attracting pharmaceutical manufacturing and establishing the structure of good governance and transparency. 

After the opening ceremonies, the Council then settled into the main business of the day with an opening plenary that saw the members energetically making robust contributions into several realms that will improve governance in the state. It was at these sessions that the leadership abilities of both the chairman Victor Onyenkpa and co-chairman Mrs. Ifueko Omogui Okauru became all self-evident. 

Also, at the plenary session the outline of the tasks was outlined with questions, answers and general contributions taken from members on wide range of issues that bedevilled the state. The members were also educated on baselines that will guide discussions and contributions. 

Later the council was broken unto sub committees that included the following: (a) Economic Transformation for Job Creation and Poverty Reduction; (b) Socio-Economic Enablers; (c) Social transformation and Human Capital Development; (d) Governance, Rule of law and Strategic Partnership across frontiers; (e) Environment, Resource and Sustainability; (f) Finance and Financing mechanisms; (h) Economic Rejuvenation of Aba as an Industrial and Commercial Hub.  

•Chief Jones Ike, Member, Dr. Alex Otti Transition Council, writes from Abuja.