One Year in Office:
Dr. Okwuonu Extols Alex Otti’s Giant Strides in Abia State
There appears to be no end to the deluge of kudos coming the way of the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) for his quality leadership and impactful One Year in Office.
From all, indications he deserves all the encomiums showered on him by Abians and non-Abians in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
Just within one year in office, the dynamic, visionary, forthright, indefatigable and quintessential Governor of Abia State has endeared himself to the people by giving a very good account of what a purposeful political leadership can achieve in Abia State and elsewhere.
Right from day one, Dr. Alex Otti left no one in doubt about his determination of stopping once and for all the rot in Abia State and moving at a hypersonic speed in his bid to transform the state in all ramifications and make it a home for all.
In this exclusive chat with Jideofor Ugwanyi, Signal Publisher, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chinyere Okwuonu, the Medical Director of Isaac Okwuonu Memorial Hospital, Aba bared his mind on Dr. Alex Otti’s One Year in Office describing it as a new dawn in the chequered political leadership of Abia State.
According to the renowned medical practitioner and Labour Party chieftain in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti’s victory in the 2023 election has changed the narrative in Abia State and put to an end the era of profligacy and sharing money belonging to the state to few individuals.
The erstwhile Deputy Director of Dr. Alex Otti Campaign Organization in-charge of Abia South expressed profound gratitude to God for his victory adding that Dr. Alex Otti has really made the people of Abia State proud within his One Year in Office.
He expressed optimism that the state would witness more transformations in his second year in office and urged Abians to be patient and pay their taxes and other government approved levies as at when due to enable the government to do more for the people. Read on.
What is your take on Dr. Alex Chioma Otti’s One Year in Office?
We thank God that the election has come and gone with success for Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) and the Labour Party. And for the past one year he has been at the helm of affairs in Abia State it has been a case of one good news to another in fulfilment of his campaign promises to the people.
For instance, he promised to increase the operational business hours in Abia State pointing out that Abians are losing a lot of money when they close business at 7.00pm or 8.00pm. So he said that he was going to embark on lighting up Aba so that business can continue in the evening till 10.00pm or 11.00pm.
According to him such move would have a lot of positive implications on the economy of the state.
And as soon as he was sworn-in he started lighting up most areas in Aba and Umuahia. If you go to some areas you know before at night now you would not recognize them again. But it is a pity that Abians have not really taken advantage of it in terms of doing business. So, we encourage them to do so.
Emelogu Road, Aba is so aesthetic and well lit at night now. So if business starts there at night people would stay till morning.
The story is the same at Omoba Road, Aba. It is completely lit up to SDA Church down to Obikabia junction.
Dr. Alex Otti has also excelled in the area of road infrastructure. His determination to award a contract for the reconstruction of the long-abandoned Port Harcourt Road, Aba to the foremost Road Construction giant in the nation, Julius Berger within the shortest possible time on assumption of office is commendable and a sure sign of many good things to come.
Before now a lot of businesses had closed down because of the deplorable state of the road. I remember in those days we used to go to Port Harcourt Road, Aba to look at the beautiful places and hotels there.
But for so many years we did not go there again because the road became so terrible and impassable to the extent that the people living around there planted plantain at the centre of the road, which they harvested.
As I speak with you the first phase has been completed and the second one has commenced with immediate alacrity.
There is also operation fill up the potholes in Aba and Umuahia. If you look around now, you would no longer see potholes on most of the roads because of operation fill up the potholes. It is really working and visible to all and sundry.
The reconstruction of Cemetery Road leading into Eziukwu Road Market, Aba by Dr. Alex Otti as soon as he mounted the saddle is a big plus to his administration.
Look at what he is doing at Omuma Road, Ohanku Road and others including over seventeen completed roads he has commissioned in Aba within his One Year in Office.
What is more? The ground-breaking commissioning of the six-lane Ossah – Mission Hill Road renamed Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard is the first of its kind in the state. It is unprecedented. It was completed in record time and the people whose buildings were demolished were duly compensated.
See what he is doing along Umuahia – Uzuakoli-Akara-Alayi-Abiriba-Ohafia Road. Work is going on there massively.
Within one year in office, Dr. Alex Otti has tackled aggressively the dilapidated road infrastructure in Abia State and he deserves resounding kudos from all and sundry.
His approach to governance generally is novel in this part of the world where corruption is the order of the day.
His government is transparent and accountability is his watchword. Today, every public office holder in the state is accountable for whatever he or she does. The era of god-fatherism or sacred cows is gone. It is highly encouraging and that would make the people to sit up.
Again, if you look very well now you would notice that Abia workers go to work early, perform their duties accordingly and close when they are supposed to close. And that tells you the level of discipline from the head down to the tail.
In terms of investment, Dr. Alex Otti has attracted genuine investors into the state and today, Abia State has become the nation’s number one investors haven.
A lot of things is also happening in the education sector and within a short time from now, so many public schools in Abia State would wear a new look. Plans are underway to renovate them.
The health sector is not left out in Dr. Alex Otti’s giant strides in Abia State. As soon as he came on board he restored ABSUTH’s lost accreditation for training medical students by meeting all the requirements stipulated by the Nigerian Medical Council.
Again, the key General Hospitals in Abia North, Abia Central and Abia South are very functional now under Dr. Alex Otti’s pragmatic leadership.
Dr. Alex Otti’s administration has performed so well in all the sectors in the past one year in office. I give him kudos. He has really made us proud as well as carved a niche for himself in the political leadership of the state.
I call on all Abians to be patient with him because so many good things are coming. And again, I would urge Abians to imbibe the culture of cleanliness.
They cannot go to Akwa Ibom State or Rivers State and litter the roads with rubbish or throw refuse into the drainage.
But they tend to do it here in Abia. But I know that it would soon stop. So I want to advise them to exhibit the discipline they used to exhibit when they go to other areas that have zero tolerance for indiscipline and filthy environment.
The present administration in the state has done a lot to ensure environmental sanitation and we should key into it.
Coming to security, the life of Abians is paramount and Dr. Alex Otti is doing everything possible to ensure the provision of adequate security in Abia State.
I encourage all Abians to say something when they see something to help our security agencies in the war against insecurity.
Leadership requires a lot of money. And as responsible and law-abiding citizens, we should be alive to our civic responsibilities by paying our taxes and other government approved levies as at when due to enable the government to do more for us.
Finally, I congratulate the performing Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) on his impactful One Year in Office and pray that God would give him more strength, wisdom and resources to continue to pilot the affairs of the state to greater height.
