Ngwa Road Market Chairman Lauds Alex Otti’s Giant Strides in Abia
For many people, the performance of a Governor or President in terms of success or failure cannot be judged within 100 Days in Office.
But for the amiable, ebullient, pragmatic, quintessential, forthright, result-oriented and God-fearing chairman of Ngwa Road Market, Aba, Elder Dr. Uchechukwu N. Anyanwu popularly known as Onye Eze, 100 Days is long enough to assess the performance of the Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR).
According to the renowned business mogul and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UNAC Ventures (Nig.) Limited, the dynamic and visionary Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti has given a very good account of what good political leadership can achieve in Abia State and elsewhere within 100 Days in office and etched his name in gold in the nation’s political landscape as an inimitable leader and great achiever.
He said that right from Day One after his inauguration as the fifth democrati cally-elected Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti hit the ground running in a bid to rebuild Abia State and make her the envy of other states in the country.
In this exclusive interview with Jideofor Ugwanyi, Elder Dr. Uchechukwu N. Anyanwu bared his mind on his appointment, Dr. Alex Otti’s impactful 100 Days in Office among other sundry issues. Excerpts.
Sir, let’s meet you.
I am Elder Dr. Uchechukwu N. Anyanwu. I hail from Obowu in Imo State. I have spent 43 years in Ngwa Road Market, Aba. I deal on textiles popularly known as OK.
How do you feel about your appointment as chairman of Ngwa Road Market, Aba?
I am very happy for my appointment as the chairman of Ngwa Road Market, Aba. I am also the deputy chairman of all the markets in Aba. I thank God for my appointment as well as the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti (OFR) for finding me worthy to pilot the affairs of the market. I accepted the appointment with joy because I believe that Dr. Alex Otti has good intentions for Abia State and I consider it a rare privilege to be part of the much desired positive change in the political leadership of Abia State.
Can you tell us your experience in the market so far?
We were inaugurated in June 2023. The condition I found the market was so deplorable. The entire market was surrounded by mountains of refuse. Personally, I hate dirty environment. I committed my personal resources in carting away heaps of refuse within the market. Thereafter, I procured ASEPA bucket for dumping of refuse in the market. If you go to George’s by Ahia Ohu, you would see it. I am also trying to procure another one to be placed at Adazi by Ahia Ohu to ensure that the market is kept clean at all times. I equally addressed the issue of security in the market. The market has about nine gates and none of them was good prior to my assumption of office. As I speak with you, we have renovated all the gates in the market and we now lock them at the end of business each day. Most importantly, we have achieved peace in the market. Again, during a meeting with the members of the executive committee of the market I told them that it is no longer business as usual. I informed them that we have come to serve, not to enrich ourselves. I urged them to be above board in all their dealings within and outside the market as well as to be dedicated to their duties so as to make the presence of the present administration to be felt in the market. We are trying our best to make sure that we do not disappoint the governor as well as the traders. Government cannot do everything for us. We would not hesitate to do the ones we can do in the name of the government. But the ones we cannot do we would run to the government for help. For example, the roads leading into the market are so bad. If you enter the market from Ngwa Road, you cannot come out to East Street except you go to Ogbor Hill through Emelogu because the road connecting the market to East Street is blocked. So we appeal to the government to come to our rescue.
What is your take on Dr. Alex Otti’s 100 Days in Office?
His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti (OFR) has achieved a lot within his first 100 Days in Office. in his inaugural speech he told Abians that help is here at last. I call him the People’s Governor because he is a product of the collective decision of the people of Abia State and I know he would not disappoint the confidence reposed in him. He is in a hurry to transform Abia State. His footprints are felt in all the sectors of the state. For instance, immediately after his inauguration he declared war on refuse menace in Aba and Umuahia.
He also flagged off construction of nine roads in Aba including Cemetery, Udeagbala Road, Umuimo Road, Green Avenue, Old Court Road, Umuehilegbu/Tonimas/Samek Road, Jubilee Road by Kent and Emelogu Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba.
The projects are now at various stages of completion while five that were ready were commissioned as part of activities marking his 100 Days in Office including the Umuokomiri Road, Obehie in Ukwa West local government area.
Another milestone recorded by Dr. Alex Otti in his first 100 Days in Office is the immediate rehabilitation of three major secondary health facilities in the three senatorial zones of the state.
His sweeping reforms in the state civil service commission through registration and biometric system in order to weed out ghost workers in the state to enable the government to deal with authentic workers has continued to receive resounding kudos.
There has also been a remarkable improvement in the education sector, agriculture, commerce, industry among others.
Dr. Alex Otti has made giant stride in terms of security. The launch of a joint security team code-named Operation Crush to flush out criminals from their hideouts in a bid to make Abia a safer haven for the citizenry and investors is hailed by all and sundry as a bold step in the right direction.
Above all, there has been a deliberate effort by Dr. Alex Otti to enthrone a new order and lead the state to El Dorado.
His achievements within his first 100 Days in Office are too numerous to be mentioned.
We are indeed proud to be associated with his uncommon feats within a short time in office and wish him more wisdom and grace for greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
What is your parting word?
My prayer is that God would help me having seen my heart that I have come to support Dr. Alex Otti to actualize his dream for Abia State.
Again, some of the things we pray to God to do for us are things we can do for ourselves.
For example, we do not need to pray for good road or clean environment because it is something we can do on our own.
God would not come down from heaven to do some of the things we ask him to do for us in prayer. Instead, He would use us to accomplish them at the appropriate time if we make ourselves available.
Light has come to Ngwa Road Market, Aba. I am light. And because light has come darkness must give way. I mean well for the traders as well as the government of Abia State.
Dr. Alex Otti means well for Abians and I pray that God would continue to imbue him with wisdom and courage to pilot the affairs of Abia State to His glory and betterment of the people.
I call on the traders of Ngwa Road Market, Aba and the entire Abians to support the present Dr. Alex Otti-led administration so as to deliver to Abians the Abia of their dream.
