Raising Abia from bended knees

 

THERE comes a time in the history of a people when God blesses them with a leader with a particular mandate. For the people of Abia, aptly called God’s Own State, there is every indication that the supplication of the people unto their Maker for a divine lifting of afflicted yoke caused by long period of political and economic slavery has attracted divine intervention.

The result today is a true reflection of the Biblical saying that when the righteous are on the throne, the people rejoice. For Governor Theodore Orji, under whose administration the state has seen the total paradigm shift in both governance and content of service delivery, the abundance of God’s mercy upon him and the mandate cannot be over-emphasised.

From a fluttering beginning due to known consequence of deceitful political alliance akin to the kind of marriage between the cow and the butcher, governance and service delivery in a democratic setting had a huge question mark. However, with determination and rare courage though not without pockets of adulterated opposition, the Governor was able to rescue the state from the chambers of dark forces. Then came his vow and promise to the people of the state to hold him accountable for all actions and inaction(s) of his administration. With just a year into his second term of office, Governor Orji has left no one in doubt that indeed some dark forces were the cogs on the wheels of the progress of the state.

Within the period under review, the proportion of infrastructural development in the state has witnessed a high commensurate yield which has also left few opposing scoundrels in the state with no other option than to merely haul sand to give the impression that it is fulfilling all righteousness. From the massive infrastructures being put up in the state capital city Umuahia, to the courageous tackling of the infrastructural challenges in Aba the commercial heart beat of the state and the entire East, the present administration has left no one in doubt of its mission.

Just recently, Governor Orji etched his regime’s name in gold when it took care of a perennial problem that had defied solution to previous administrations in the state in the last 20 years. The popular Ukwu-Mango leading into Ariaria which had before now turned into a forest due to its impregnable nature, has today become a beautiful thorough fare for commuters. Hate or like him, the impact of the actualised dream will for a very long time remain evergreen in the minds of the residents of the city. The glory, of course, knows its destination. The residents of Aba have never had it so good.

Under the same period, the Governor had rehabilitated the Ama-Ogbenna, Okigwe road, the Osusu- Omuma Road, which roads were in the year 2000 “politically” commissioned by the then Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. From Osusu, the story moved to Danfodio by East, to Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Old Express by Samek. The government in response to the welfare of students and staff of the Abia State Polytechnic Aba, constructed an over-head bridge to reduce the rate of vehicular accidents in front of the campus.

Coming to the state capital, the story has truly changed. People of Amaeke where burials are held only during dry seasons have heaved a sigh of great relief. The non-existing Amaeke road that could better pass as a slave-trade route has been fully rehabilitated and commissioned. It is even an unbelievable story for people of Ukome and Mbom where Nwa-bekee (local reference to development) has eventually visited. For the years that they had existed, Mbom has never seen a tarred road since creation. Same story is now told in Emede who for many decades have survived through “jump and pass” infrastructural development. Still counting, it is positive turn-around for the World-Bank-Agbama Road, Umuafai-Lodu-Ahiaeke road, Okwuta-Isieke, Okwoyi-Iyienyi as well as the Nkata-Alike Umukabia-Ohuhu road.

In the Southern Senatorial Zone, the century-old adage that there is no short route to Aro (an acronym for Arochukwu) is no longer obtainable. Under Ochendo, the long stretch Arochukwu road from Ndi-Uduma Awoke in OhafiA Local Government is now being constructed.

This is in addition to the Amaekpu-Okagwe road in same Ohafia. It is equally a historic account from Ndi Okorie Abam down to Ndi- Itu. One striking feature in Abia is that the road constructions are carried out by contractors who upon the award of the jobs get instant mobilisation. This is a sharp contrast from the reigning college manual labour roads in some neighbouring states.

As we read this, the state government is very responsive of the need to ensure that all arms of government are functioning optimally, hence the need for human and capacity building. The state workforce is patiently waiting for the completion and commissioning of the State Secretariat with a complete over-haul of the old one. This is just as the two cities of Aba and Umuahia are seeing the eloquent presence of the judiciary made manifest with the dual construction of two gigantic High Court complexes.

The health sector record is a positive statement already made, hence it would be trite to begin fresh enumeration.

It is nothing to the residents of the State that despite all the efforts of the State government, the government is still under the attack and bad press of a few. It is also quite amusing that some whiff of criticism comes from some ignorant sections outside the state. This is essentially from those who felt they should join the fray because there is a bandwagon rush.