The best Governor in the history of Nigeria
DIGNITY, PUBLIC WELFARE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Being the Text of a State Broadcast by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, to Mark the 3rd Anniversary of His Administration
1. Umunnem ndi Abia, friends of our dear State, men and women of goodwill, I bring you joyful greeting as we mark yet another epoch in the continuing evolution of our land as a development frontline. Permit me to begin on a note of profound gratitude to the Almighty God to whom this State and its people are wholly dedicated. This day presents us a special opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, appreciate ourselves for the modest strides, and make a conscious decision to face the future with courage. Indeed, we have come a long way but the road ahead is still far, our journey is only just beginning. For all its shortcomings and imperfections, democracy has provided us a genuine vehicle for accelerated development. Better than all other alternatives, the freedom to choose our leaders, which is democracy’s ultimate advantage, has given us the leverage to take our destiny in our own hands.
2. On this day 3 years ago, a new era opened for us, as a government elected by the popular will of the people took the reins of leadership. From the very minute we took our oath, the task of charting a new course for the State kicked off in earnest. We hit the ground running from the very beginning because the promise of restoration could wait no longer. We were resolute in our resolve to push things into motion because we understood the weight of public expectation on our shoulders. Barely 24 hours after our inauguration, we were in the streets of Aba, leading the refuse disposal effort, not minding the heavy downpour. By refusing to be held back by an inclement weather, we sent out a clear message that the era of making excuses for failure was over. Ours is far from a perfect administration but even the most fervent critic cannot but acknowledge that on the most critical measures of progress, Abia, in the last 3 years, has turned the corner.
3. With the successful execution of more than 400 road infrastructure projects covering over 800 kilometres, it is safe to say that our journey into the transformation of our road networks as a major driver of prosperity across urban and rural communities has started. In the next few months, 82 other roads stretching over 200 kilometres shall be delivered and opened for public use. Our road infrastructure investments are carefully spread in ways that leave no part of the State behind; we are as mindful of the expectations of the Aba industrial and trading community as we are conscious of the wealth of resources that quality roads can open up in our agrarian centres. The timely completion of Port Harcout Road in Aba, Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard in Umuahia and the 67-kilometre Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Abriba-Ohafia Road offers a telling example of the balance of our outlay. The quality of work on the new bridge over Igu River, adjacent to the historic Omenuko Bridge, point to the joy of restoration and the place of memory in our evolution. This same testimony is what you get from regular commuters at Ohanku Road in Aba, a road that lay in ruins for decades. The dualization of the 5.95-kilometre road leading to Abia Tower from Onuimo Bridge, now named Uma Ukpai Way, and the completion of the 11.5-kilometre Nunya- Eluama Road, now known as Ndubuisi Kanu Road amongst hundreds of other projects, stand as abiding testament to the measure of progress the State has witnessed in the last 36 months.