By Steve Oko

Riding on the mantra of change, and with a lot of expectations, Gov. Alex Otti, an economist and former banker, took over the mantle of leadership of Abia State on May 29, 2023.

He was the beneficiary of the general disenchantment among the people occasioned by abysmal performance of past administrations especially the one he succeed.

Two years down the line, Otti who is the sole Labour Party Governor in Nigeria at the moment, does not seem to have betrayed the trust reposed in him by Abians.

Stakeholders believe he has made some appreciable imprints that cannot just be wished away, even his critics sometimes openly acknowledge his achievements.

A critical analysis of his scorecard support the opinion by many that Otti has laid the foundation for a New Abia which, if sustained over time, would make the state a model of excellence.

His performances have increased his support base with a growing army of admirers cutting across party divides.

Analysts believe that in view of his impressive performance, a major hurdle for his challengers in 2027, will be how to convince his organic teeming supporters on why they should not reward him with a second tenure.

Infrastructure:

Infrastructural development is one of the selling points of Otti’s administration.
A number of signature projects have been delivered within the period under review.

Before now, Abia was among the states with the worst record of dilapidated roads. Many of the roads both state and federal, were simply impassable.

But in two years, bad roads are fast disappearing from the state. The expansion of Ossah Road (now Aguiyironsi boulevard) – the main entry point to Umuahia the state capital – into six lanes; plus the reconstruction of the strategic Port Harcourt Road Aba, stand out among Otti’s strides in road infrastructure.

Presenting his scorecard during his second anniversary celebration, Otti said a total of 237 roads had so far been fixed by his administration.

“In very specific terms, the last two years have seen the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of 237 roads in different parts of the state stretching hundreds of kilometres with Port Harcourt Road, Ohanku, Obohia, Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard, Library Avenue, Joe Irukwu Way and Arochukwu-Ndi Okereke-Ozuabam roads being the most prominent following years of neglect and failed promises.

” I am glad to report that our road infrastructure development footprint has touched every LGA. Our roads now bear certain distinct signatures including solar-powered streetlights, directional markings to guide users, appropriate drainage pathways to increase the service life of the roads and other safety features”, he declared.

The on-going construction of Omenuko bridge on the Bende Ohafia federal road; as well as the Abia airport project in partnership with the federal government also stand out among Otti’s signature projects.

Healthcare:

Healthcare is one of the key sectors that have received priority attention of the Otti-led administration. The restoration of the lost medical accreditation of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, ABSUTH, Aba, is a major achievement in the sector.

The restoration was sequel to massive investment and upgrade of the hospital to a befitting tertiary health facility by the Otti-led administration.

Similar transformation was done at the Abia Specialist Hospital Umuahia and its annex at Amachara which is now a referral tertiary hospital in Abia central.

To balance the senatorial tripod, Umunnato general hospital has been upgraded to a specialist hospital to serve Abia North, and work is on-going to realize the project.

At the beginning of 2025, he embarked on the renovation of 200 primary healthcare centres, 100 of which he recently said, were ready for inauguration. Ten General hospitals are also being re-troffited.

Perhaps the climax of Gov. Otti’s strides in the health sector is the proposed $3.5 billion Abia Medical City project in partnership with some foreign investors.

The project which the Governor confirmed he had “seen the colour of the money”, when realized, would help end medical tourism in Nigeria.

Education:

In compliance with the global benchmark on education, Otti has continued to allocate 20 per cent of Abia’s annual budget to education.

His free and compulsory education policy from Primary 1 to junior secondary has led to upsurge in public school enrollment. Following the upsurge, 5000 teachers have been engaged, and another 4000 being currently recruited.

At the Abia State University Uturu, ABSU, he is currently building a 5000-bed hostel to ease the accommodation challenge of students. This is in addition to the overhaul of the existing dilapidated hostels.

Ogbonnaya Onu Polythecnic Aba, formerly Abia Poly, has since become the choice of many tertiary education admission seekers courtesy of the redemptive intervention of the Governor.

Similarly interventions are being extended to Abia State College of Education Technical Arochukwu.

Security:

Around mid 2023, insecurity was a major challenge in state especially around Umunneochi/Isuikwuato axis which was almost overrun by bandits who made kidnapping for ransom a daily routine.

With the launch of Operation Crush, Otti’s administration frontally confronted the monster; and despite stiff opposition by some Northern traders, the Governor insisted on fencing the Lokpanta regional cattle market suspected to be the harbour for the criminals.

Today, insecurity in that axis as well as other parts of the state has drastically reduced. Security is among the sectors that Otti’s administration is rated high.

Agriculture:

Otti’s administration has taken some bold steps to boost agricultural production. It sponsored 300 youths to Nassarawa State to understudy modem farming, and upon their return, they were empowered by the state.

The rehabilitation of roads leading to major agrarian communities in Bende, Ikwuano, Ohafia, Abam, Isiala Ngwa North and South, the opening of other feeder roads, are part of the deliberate efforts of the administration to boost agriculture.

Sanitation:

Before now, Abia had a bad appellation as ‘ a smelling state’ due to indiscriminate dumping of refuse and failure of the Abia State Environmental Sanitation Protection Agency, ASEPA, to evacuate them.

Otti had declared state of emergency on waste. The action is paying off as Abia especially Aba, is gradually metamorphosing into a clean city.

Although not there yet, ASEPA has demonstrated capacity. The agency recently announced plans to commence recycling of waste following the completion of its recycling plant in Aba. Residents score Otti’s achievements high on sanitation.

Workers’ welfare:

Otti’s decision to pay off backlog of workers’ salary and pension arrears accumulated by previous governments, has won him the admiration and respect of many.

Similarly, his consistency in paying workers and pensioners at the 28th of every month is seen by many as a commendable departure from the old order.

However, the controversy over the alleged agreement between Government and pensioners to forfeit part of their gratuities, should be quickly addressed by the Governor.

Although the Governor has promised to revisit this after pleas by stakeholders, many believe that addressing this and other labour-related issues including the retirement benefits of some Permanent Secretaries, has become imperative.

Workers’ secretariat at Ogurube layout as well as many public buildings have been rehabilitated and equiped. Otti has once again, dignified civil service, and this will dovetail into efficient service delivery.

Economy:

The massive infrastructural development in the state is seen as a deliberate effort of government to attract investors who will help grow the economy.

The administration has embarked on some laudable reforms such as the abolition of multiple taxation, and issuance of Certificate of Occupancy within one month to improve on the ease of doing business.

These reforms are beginning to pay off as a number of foreign investors and embassies including the State of Israel, Bulgaria, Vietnam among others have visited the state for investment.

The ground breaking for Abia Industrial and Innovation Park, AIIP, at Owaza in the oil-rich Ukwa West council, is seen as a milestone by the Otti-led administration to industrialize the state.

The industrial, residential and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) which sits on over 1,000 hectares of land, would host multiple layers of businesses including modular refinery, petrochemical and fertiliser plants and several other chains of enterprises.

High tech:

Otti’s administration has shown Keen interest in launching Abia into a hub for tech industry. It has commenced training of interested youths in high-tech with some of the outstanding maiden graduates in the programme getting automatic job offer from the state in their recent graduation.

Power:

Governor Otti’s administration has shown commitment to resolve the perennial power challenge in the state.

Otti who helped in resolving the face-off between the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, and Geometric Power which made the latter suppliers of power to Aba residents, has again initiated a bold move towards addressing power challenge in Umuahia.

Abia Government is set to acquire 60 per cent equity in EEDC so it could channel the excess power from Geometric to the Umuahia ring fence area comprising the entire Abia North and Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency.

Otti’s administration has equally demonstrated capacity and eagerness to effect a desirable change in so many other sectors although there is still room for improvement.

His approach to governance and fiscal responsibility have elicited cooperation from residents in payment of their financial obligations to the state.

Tricycle operators, now enthusiastically pay their daily levies unlike in the past when they had to be haunted by taskforce. Multiple testimonies from these operators indicate that their motivation is evidence of performance.

Many residents including key stakeholders from across party divide believe that Otti’s work would speak for him in 2027.

Among those who share this opinion is the senator representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, said:”Otti’s performance is incredible”.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA Senator further said:”Abia hasn’t had it so good. He has already broken record and I know he will do better in the years ahead. He should go ahead and give us prosperous and productive Abia beyond our expectations. The best way to reward good performance is better performance”.

Former Finance Minister and elder statesman, Kalu Idika Kalu, also praised Otti who he described as an apostle of growth and development.

“Governor Otti’s tenure has been truly transformative. Abians are so enthused by these two years of solid stewardship.
The Otti’s administration wants to underpin administrative re-organization and sustainable social and economic development under an atmosphere of good governance, equity, and the rule of law.”

Another elder statesman and former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, also said “Otti has performed beyond imagination”.

“He is not merely talking about reforms but engaging in transformation in a rounded way. Apart from infrastructure, he has also done well in key sectors like education and healthcare. He has applied a more balanced approach to governance and development.

” Otti behaves as somebody who came prepared. He has achieved so much in two years that we will encourage him to continue at his pace. At a time some people at the federal are already talking of re-election without anything to show for the two years they have stayed, he has a lot to show. Let him continue to focus on good governance, his works will speak for him in his re-election.”

The PDP Board of Trustee, BoT, member, however, advised the Governor to consolidate on the successes already recorded on education, and healthcare.

Abia monarchs in their assessment, expressed satisfaction with Otti’s midterm scorecard , declaring his achievements as “unprecedented” since the history of the state.

Chairman, Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Linus Nto Mbah (LINTO), who spoke for the monarchs, said Otti had made indelible imprints.

They commended him for changing the narratives in road infrastructure, healthcare, education, economy, and workers’ welfare.

The monarchs also hailed Otti for increasing their monthly stipend from paltry sums to N250,000 each; and “for completing and furnishing their secretariat at JAAC building”.

Bishop of Umuahia Methodist Diocese, Archbishop Raphael Opoko, who described Otti’s emergence as “an act of God”, said that the Governor had not betrayed the people’s trust in him.

He particularly lauded Otti’s massive infrastructural revolution which extends to federal roads, citing his renovation of the strategic Port Harcourt Road Aba; and Uzuakoli-Ohafia Road as highly commendable.

He said:”Otti’s coming is a blessing. He didn’t just come like that. Three years before his emergence, God told us that if we wanted progress in Abia, we should get Otti as our Governor, and we started praying about it. They almost took away his mandate but God intervened.”

Opoko who commended Otti for achieving so much without borrowing said:”He said he has not borrowed, yet this much has been achieved. We had his predecessors who told us they built airport but we never saw any airport. If the momentum is sustained till the next two years, we will ask him to continue for many more years if the constitution allows that”.

The cleric who noted that the Governor is not infallible, scored him 98% while urging him to improve on agriculture, transportation and water reticulation.

“My advice for him is to ensure public water supply in Umuahia in the remaining two years. He should also partner with the federal government to restore train transportation. We equally need improvement on agriculture. Let him liase with the Local Government Chairmen to allocate more money to agriculture. Let every LGA cultivate at least one hectare of land and plant any crop of their comparative advantage like we had in the days of Dr M I Okpara”.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Abia State, Comrade Okoro Ogbonnaya, also rated Otti’s midterm scorecard very high, saying “he has performed marvelously”.

He said:”The Governor has done well. We have never had it so well. Past Governments have shown they were only after their pockets but Otti has proven he is a man to reckon with. He has shown he has the interest of Abia workers and people at heart”.

The NLC boss who scored the Governor 90%, however, appealed to him to revisit the lingering issues on the controversial gratuities of pensioners, as well as workers’ leave allowances

Another elder statesman and a former Minister for Education and Health respectively, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, also scored Otti “above average”.

“He has done very well. He is above average”, the former Minister said, while however, counselling him to engage more with the masses.

“He should get much in touch with the people. Government is all about the people not just about projects. Projects are okay but he should sometimes, engage the ordinary people directly or indirectly. We should have more town hall meetings. Let him relate with the ordinary people. Sometimes he should call them to come and commission his projects not just political god-fathers. He is building the projects for the people not the god-fathers. Let them come sometimes to commission the projects.”

In the light of the above, the tricycle operator in Aba who recently returned N2.4 million cash forgotten in his ‘KEKE’ by a passenger, and his likes may be considered for the inauguration of some of the key projects of the Governor to encourage good behaviour among citizens.

In his own assessment of the Otti’s scorecard, an APC chieftain and former Chairman of the PDP in Abia, Senator Emma Nwaka, also commended Otti for sustaining the peace of the state, and for prioritising workers’ welfare, among other strides.

“Otti has done remarkably well with infrastructure development, particularly in the area of road construction. I commend him for sustaining the peaceful status of Abia State, which is a prerequisite for development. I’m happy with the general cleanliness of the state under him. And with the way he’s going, Umuahia will soon begin to have the feel and look of a state capital.

“I will advise the Governor to take urgent steps to address the issue of outstanding entitlements of retired civil servants and ensure regular payment of pensions, more so now that the government has more revenue. This will encourage those still in service”, Nwaka said

Similarly, 2023 governorship running mate of the Young Peoples Party, YPP, and 2024 Vanguard Entrepreneur of the Year, Dr Chima Anyaso, said Otti’s scorecard would present a big hurdle for the opposition in 2027.

“His giant strides are posing a formidable challenge for opposition parties particularly those entrenched in adversarial politics. Although there exist isolated dissenting voices opposing the Governor, the overwhelming majority of Abians remain steadfastly aligned with Governor Otti. Those who still oppose the Governor are insignificant minority.”

Should Otti sustain the momentum in the balance of his tenure, Abia will certainly be a leading economy in the country.