Expectations as Alex Otti takes charge in Abia 

Steve  Unegbu, Umuahia

As the new President and Governors are sworn in today, much is expected  from the various newly elected political office holders by citizens nationwide.

It is normal that a change in administration is usually greeted with very high expectations, particularly when it is preceded by tough electioneering campaigns with many promises made by the candidates of the various political parties.

No doubt, the Nigerian economy generally is in a fragile state and in dire need of a new leadership and positive  direction which is why the current democratic transition offers  great opportunities for the incoming administrations  to chart a new course for their various areas of jurisdiction.

But the big question in the minds of many Nigerians is : would these political leaders keep and fulfill their various campaign promises ?

However in the midst of the numerous challenges that threaten progress and development of the country, majority of Nigerians are expectant that the elected political leaders will assemble team of  competent, visionary, patriotic, selfless, dedicated  and people of high integrity  to drive home the visions of their various administrations.

And narrowing it down to  Abia state, the great ovations and jubilations  that heralded the declaration  of the Labour Party Governorship Candidate Dr Alex Otti as  the  Governor-elect are  indications that as he is being sworn in to take over the leadership of the State  from the outgoing government of PDP-led by Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, there are certainly very high expectations from the people and residents of the state as well as Ndigbo in general .

Now that the electioneering period is over, Ndi Abia are full of huge  expectations.It is a time of action and less of the talking.

Already, the incoming administration led by Dr Otti said he would adopt the approach and style of Mr Peter Obi when he governed Anambra state so as to carve a niche for himself as well as to  grow standardized and robust economy system that would provide employment opportunities for the unemployed and improve the standard of living in Abia and restore the lost glory of Aba as the commercial hub of Nigeria.

The challenges waiting for the in coming administration are so enormous that he needs sound economic team to give guidance and direction on general economic policy direction, urgent and needed reforms, policy conceptualization and economy where there should be level playing ground for both the private and the public sectors with a transparent economic policy formulation processes, competitive economic environment and creating enabling environment for boosting of the private enterprises.

To hit the ground running as he takes over the leadership of Abia state, clearing  the backlog of unpaid salaries and pensions owed workers will be an intelligent starting  and positive step for the incoming administration, because the workers in the state have been on strike for sometime now, waiting patiently for the new administration to bring joy and happiness to their lives and homes by paying them their salaries that have accumulated over the time, especially those working in Abia state parastatals such Abia Hospital Management Board, Abia State Teaching Hospital Aba, Abia State Secondary School teachers , Arochukwu College of Education, Abia Polytechnic Aba, School of Health and Technology Aba among others.

Recall that recently the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Abia State chapter embarked on indefinite strike as a result of unpaid salaries.

The state chairman of the NLC, Pascal Nweke, had explained that, “Abia workers will begin an indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries and pensions”

He furher disclosed  that Abia NLC had met with the state government and an agreement was reached and signed by both parties but “after that, nothing was done..

“They invited me and our Secretary and explained that they had problems with their banks. We gave them time to solve their bank problems and later, nothing happened”

Secondly, Abians are expecting the incoming administration to pay much attention in the area of infrastructure development, especially in Aba which is the commercial hub of the South Eastern region.

To stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of life  in Abia, Dr Otti will need to embark on intensive infrastructure building such as quality roads with the goal of sparking economic growth. It is a key driver for progress and a critical enabler for productivity and sustainable economic growth.

It is important to note that intensive infrastructure development enhances Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of every State.Therefore, the in coming administration will need to vigorously pursue infrastructure development in Aba to  not only improve quality of life and economic growth but it is a key to improving the State IGR, as well as create enabling environment for businesses to thrive, which will in turn, attract investors in the State.

Another important expectation is jobs creation and reduction in unemployment rate. Creating more and better quality jobs is another key to boosting economic growth, reduction in poverty and increasing social cohesion.

By adopting policies to open mocro, small and medium scale investments and employment creation in order to revitalize the economy is one of the key strategies in achieving economic growth and are catalyst for the creation of new jobs and lower rising poverty brought on by unemployment.

It is also a crucial factor in the expansion and recovery of the economy and it is achievable through initiating development and implementation of strong policies.

The incoming government is expected to consolidate on gains made on  security of lives and property by  the outgoing administration which worked hard  by  making the state one of the most peaceful state in the Southern States.

Security of life and property remain the foremost duty of every government and  the importance of security of life and property cannot be overemphasized, considering the fact that without  adequate protection of life and property, the preservation of public tranquility and reduction in crime,there will be no economic growth and investors will not come near the State.

Recall that Dr Otti has in his acceptance speech on his declaration as Governor -elect affirmed that he was aware of the big tasks ahead and well prepared to tackle them head -on and proffer  remedies to them.

In his words, “As I acknowledge this victory, I am fully conscious of the huge expectations of millions of the good people of Abia, who have been denied the dividends of democracy and good governance for such a long time.

“Indeed, I see this victory as a call to service. Even as I come out of a bruising and long drawn out campaign, I know that this is just the beginning of the journey.

“There is a lot of work to be done and we must get all hands on deck to ensure that we take back our State and bring the much sought -after dividends of democracy.

“You voted us to serve you and not to be served .You voted us to alleviate your sufferings and not to compound and multiply them.

“This is a service that comes with unusually high sense of devotion and commitment given our checkered history as a people.

“During my electioneering campaign, I traversed all nooks and crannies of Abia State, and that enabled me to have first-hand assessment of the needs and expectations of Abians”.

Continuing, he said, “I made a firm promise to all civil servants and pensioners owed salaries, pensions and emoluments that an immediate payment plan would be put in place to ensure that this gets the priority it deserves.

“I am very much aware and prepared to deal with the issues of infrastructural decay which have continued to militate against our growth and development as a state. This will be tackled head-on. There is no doubt that given the deplorable state of our infrastructure, roads, schools and health systems, Abians are deservedly impatient to have these issues addressed as quickly as possible. I assure you that these areas will receive the priority attention of our government” he assured.

Analysts are optimistic that with notable personalities with proven track records Otti unveiled as his Transition Committee Council which he said would help to articulate a policy document that would forge a direction and developmental agenda for  Abia in line with his vision, the State will soon experience  high level of transformation in all  spheres to give Ndi Abia the kind of State they can be proud of.

Finally, all hands must be on deck to ensure a successful and remarkable administration for the incoming government of Abia state for the people to truly enjoy dividends of democracy.