We must praise Gov. Otti for demonstrating leadership above self and that His Abiacentric Development Mantra is not a fluke but a lived reality in today’s Abia State
First, every state in Nigeria should pray and work hard to have a progressive minded Governor, intellectually sagacious Governor, development and excellence oriented Governor and a Governor whose underpinning physiology is Leadership above self like H.E Dr Alex C. Otti OFR, the Governor of Abia State.
The reason for my thesis is simply because in the past, what we have had was politics, self appropriation of Abia as personal estate, power struggle, contestations and bickerings that plumated and underdeveloped Abia state in the most crooked and unforgivable manner.
Since God’s Divine Intervention (GDI) laced with the resilience of the majority of ndi Abia that enthroned Dr. Alex Otti as Governor of Abia state in 2023, we have witnessed the transfer of Abia from a state of darkness and underdevelopment to a state of marvellous lights in terms of good governance, planned development, deliberate infrastructure renewals and rapid socio-economic transformation. For us, this is the morning of Ndi Abia after so many years of darkness.
In terms of the construction of the new Abia Airport, we must salute the quality of Gov Otti’s leadership personality that always seeks to put Abia Development First (ADF) before politics. We must appreciate Gov Otti for his incredible, well directed and focused leadership style that is anchored on positive collaborations and partnerships to achieve rapid development in Abia.
I laugh at the hypocritical politicians in the old Abia order who are struggling today to understand why Gov Otti is playing a different kind of politics that is wholly ‘Abiacentric’ in decision making and development planning. The hypocritical individuals who should hide themselves in shame and agony now claims “Gov Otti gave Cesar what belongs to Cesar” just because the Gov puts Abia development first before politics by accepting a partnership with Federal Government to develop Abia Airport. The dark era Abia unpatriotic hyaenas couldn’t comprehend it. Because in their days, before God set the people of Abia free, governance means the appropriation of Abia state as personal estate and administer, allocate resources and take development decisions that favours only politicians for the consolidation of political power over the development of Abia state. Sad!
Today, we are happy that God has separated light from darkness in Abia state and choose a man who is not only highly exposed, intellectually sagacious, brilliant in public service governance but also a man with fear of God, and empathy, who is very courageous and upright in his pursuit to transform Abia, bring about sustainable development and inspire a new way of doing things in the governance architecture of Abia state and Nigeria.
So, we welcome the new Abia spirit and the power of collaboration to achieve Abia rapid development. We salute Gov Otti for putting politics aside and working with Federal Government to develop Abia Airport. We are very much aware these were things that couldn’t be possible in the old dark Abia governance system. As a student of politics and policy, we knew what happened in Abia since the return of Nigeria to democratic governance in 1999, how Abia managers then used almost the 8 year period to fight with Federal Government on something that had nothing to do with the development of Abia but on personal politics, and Abia people were the ones who suffered for such politics of ego and personal aggrandisement darely. From 2007, we witnessed how certain individuals organized to make Abia state ungovernable, Aba, the commercial and manufacturing hub of South East and Nigeria collapsed, economic and social activities completely decimated over politics of personal estate mentality. From 2015 to 2023, we witnessed yet another new form of manifest incompetence and governance delusion that reigned supreme, discrimination, exclusion and division characterized government and governance, leaving in it wakes deception and underdevelopment.
Today with every sense of fact, we know God hsd intervened and brought Dr Alex Otti to give Abia a breath of fresh air. Darkness will try to fight back, but Ndi Abia must not play the short memory card on our ugly political history of men who cared less about eternal legacy and value oriented republican political system that Ndi igbo is known for. We must maintain our active citizenship steeze in the governance of Abia state and ensure the gates of hell remain permanently shutdown, while the gates of God’s marvellous lights of Abia development, competent and passionate leadership being championed by H.E Gov Alex Otti continues to grow by leaps and bounds to the glory of God. Amen!
