By Chukwuebuka Ohizu, Umuahia
Some parts of Imo State were carved out by General Ibrahim Babangida, the then Head of State on August 27, 1991, to become Abia State. Hopes were high as the future of the state looked extremely bright.
Looking at the clans that make up Abia, it would have been silly for anybody to predict that the state will still be stagnant in development to date.
How dare anybody predict that a state with just a landmass of 6,320 km² handed over to the great Igbo clans of Ohafia, Bende, Ndoki, Asa, Ngwa, Ibeku, Ohuhu, Isuochi, Aro, Afikpo (before 1996), Isuikwuato, Nkporo, Abam, Abiriba and Oboro in 1991 will still be crawling as at 2023?
Apart from the rich Oil and Gas land of Asa and Ndoki (Ukwa West and Ukwa East Local Government Areas), Abia with about seven boundaries with different seven states of Imo, Rivers, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Cross River and Akwa-Ibom State, Abia is the melting pot of the South-East and the South-South Regions of Nigeria.
Her commercial nerve centre, Aba, the Enyimba City is West Africa’s and Central Africa’s market for African-made goods like clothes and all manner of leather wears like shoes, belts and bags with the Ariaria International Market serving as an important centre for every trading activity in the city.
Therefore, it was very correct that many political analysts as of 1991 described Abia as a state with many potentials, but fast forward 32 years after, Abia has been affected by stunted growth and development that are traceable to the kind of leadership failure that the state has been experiencing.
Tomorrow, on Sunday, 27th August 2023, Abia will celebrate its 32nd anniversary. One is expected to point out certain levels of development that can be used or seen as something worth celebrating after 32 years.
Unlike her contemporaries in the Southeast region of Nigeria, Abia seems to be lagging in so many areas, especially in infrastructure, education, and general environmental friendliness of her urban areas. Umuahia the capital city of Abia State is the most underdeveloped state capital in the South-East and South-South Region as there is no single sign of development in the city, as it has remained stagnant except for a few individual inputs.
Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State is crying for absolute remodelling, as the city is cracking under the heavyweight of administrative recklessness and total abandonment by successive governments in Abia.
As it stands today, some parts of Abia like Arochukwu can only be accessed through Akwa-Ibom State. The Ukwa oil-producing area of Abia State is in a sorry state, as there is no single presence of government in the area, which completely defines it as an abandoned area.
Aba was once tagged the Japan of Africa due to the high level of production taking place there. Today, all multinational companies are gone, and some Nigerian and Indigenous companies have closed down, due to government neglect of infrastructure, power, and other avoidable circumstances.
The popular Factory Road in Aba, where major companies are located should immediately be renamed Church Road, as all the locations abandoned by huge companies have been taken over by churches, who are contributing absolutely nothing to the economic development of the state.
Aba was also called the Japan of Africa because of the creative ingenuity of the artisans and local engineers in the city mostly located around the Port Harcourt Road axis down to the popular Alaoji Spare Parts Market. Today, nobody can access Alaoji Spare Parts Market through Port Harcourt Road, Obohia Road or any of the adjoining major roads that have become dead traps and “criminal avenues”, due to long years of decay and abandonment by successive Abia State government, especially between 2008 to this day.
Government’s interference in the leadership of various Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Centres/markets like the Umuihelegbu Industrial Market, Powerline, Bakassi, Shoe Plaza and so many others in leadership selection, have turned the centres to political zones instead of business centres.
There were equally high expectations in Aba when Geometric Power, owners of Aba Power Limited (APL) the Electricity Generation and Distribution Company in charge of providing power to the city took over the ring fence from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
However, over a year now that the APL has taken charge of the city’s electricity distribution business, it has been numerous complaints of estimated billing, extortionist billing and complete epileptic supply in so many areas, thereby killing the high hopes and promise of 24-hour electricity that could have restored the prowess of Aba.
The basic problem of Aba today is infrastructural decay (especially the major roads), poor and unhygienic sanitation system, pockets of insecurity resulting from total abandonment of some areas, lack of night live which is an offshoot of insecurity and infrastructural decay, lack of proper planning for emerging suburbs, as buildings are erected recklessly and lack of drinkable clean water.
Dr Alex Otti needs to liaise with the police authorities in Aba Area Command, as the command currently does not have serviceable vehicles that will encourage serious security patrol. On several occasions, calls have been made for the government to support the police in Aba, but nothing has been done so far.
Again, the city of Aba which is arguably one of Nigeria’s richest cities by the number of individual investments today, does not have a serious Fire Service Station. A city made up of five large local government areas currently has one Fire Service Station taking care of over six major markets, eight minor markets, multiple plazas, and business centres and almost all remaining industries.
The Aba Command of the Fire Service situated at Constitution Crescent does not have more than one functional Fire Service Truck that can tackle a serious Fire incident. At every serious Fire incident, backups are called from Umuahia, and they normally arrive when the damage is beyond control.
For the government of Dr. Alex Otti, fixing Aba is tantamount to fixing Abia. There is no way one can talk about the progress of Abia without talking about the complete restoration of the glory days of Aba under the old Imo State or even during the Eastern Region and East Central State.
Port Harcourt Road, Obohia Road, Ohanku Road, Old Express Road, Uratta Road, Ozuomba Road, Ohazu Road, Cemetery Road, Omuma Road, Abayi-Ariaria (St Mary’s) Road, Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road, Aba-Azumini-Opobo Road and other major and important roads are waiting for Otti, reconstructing them is the biggest step towards restoring Aba.
Chuka Okoye, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) said that it is disheartening to observe the sluggish pace of development in contrast to the strides made by its peer states.
Okoye said that the shadow of inadequate leadership over the past three decades has hindered the state’s progress and potential, stressing that this disappointing trajectory has been a result of missed opportunities and a lack of effective governance.
“With the dawn of a new administration, the people’s hopes for change have been reigniting Leadership must seize the opportunity to reverse the trend of underdevelopment and propel Abia toward its rightful standing among Nigerian states.
“Addressing critical sectors like infrastructure, education, healthcare, and employment is essential for catching up with and surpassing its peers. The aspirations of the people are pinned on this administration’s ability to drive substantial improvements. By embracing transparency, accountability, and prudent resource management, the state can embark on a journey of revitalization and growth.
“As Abia State celebrates its 32nd year, there’s an expectation that the new leadership will work diligently to uplift the state’s fortunes, allowing it to shine as a model of progress.
“The ultimate aspiration is to see Abia State rise to its deserved place, both in the roster of Nigerian states and as a cherished creation in the eyes of its citizens and the divine. With collective effort, commitment, and visionary leadership, Abia State can evolve into a beacon of development and prosperity, proving that positive change is possible and attainable.”
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor Executive Director Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) said that the major thing he expects to change fast in Abia State is the level of unemployment.
“This is not time for jamboree and endless propaganda, but for the Five billion naira to be released to the state to be used judiciously and Accountable. A state with a financial fate like Abia, with burdensome debt and non-performing budgets needs recalibrating.
“This and lots more are all the challenges facing Dr. Alex Otti. The Governor needs to establish a social investment programme where the poor of the poorest in Abia state will receive a monthly stipend as a palliative to take care of their household needs due to the economic uncertainty and hardship faced by this subsidy Removal.
“He should review the minimum wage for workers to enable them to meet with the current hyperinflationary trend in the country. The current wage is not a living wage. The Government should ease transport by providing mass transit buses within the major metropolis of Aba and Umuahia to ease both city and inter-city transport in the state because the fuel price increase has forced many private vehicle owners to pack their vehicles.
“The mass transit system should also be extended to the communities where there is an access road to ease rural women and farmers who bring their produce to the cities. He should also use the fund to support Small and Medium Enterprises and other informal sector value chains whose business capital has been affected by the fuel subsidy removal by giving them grants and loans to support their business.”
It is also good to hear from the Abia State Government who said this year’s anniversary celebration of the state creation will no longer be marked with award jamboree and unnecessary spending of state funds, stressing that it is part of the measures to stop wastages and ensure prudence in financial management.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Kenneth Kalu; and the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, during a press conference on Tuesday in Umuahia, the state capital said that the 2023 celebration would mark the beginning of a departure from the old order.
Kalu and Kanu jointly said that the Otti administration has come to make Abia work for all, and not for few opportunists to enjoy the state resources while others starve, urging the people to re-commit to Abia for the good of all. Professor Kalu declared that the way forward is for civil servants to be committed to duty and for the Government to use state resources to work for the people.
The Secretary to the State government revealed that the theme of this year’s anniversary is” Abia: Hitting the Re-set Button” and said that the one-week celebration began yesterday, Wednesday, August 23 and will end on Tuesday, August 29. The SSG said that the anniversary will begin with a visit to orphanage homes and hospitals in the three senatorial zones across the state by the wife of the Governor to distribute aid to the inmates as well as those in hospitals.
He also said that there would be a novelty match on Friday between the Executive and the Legislative arms of the State Government while Saturday and Monday would witness a special anniversary sanitation exercise, and Executive Council meeting respectively.
Meanwhile, the state government also revealed that former Minister for Education and Good Governance Advocate, Oby Ezekwesili, would deliver the anniversary lecture on the 29th of August at the International Conference Centre Umuahia with this year’s theme: “Abia: Hitting the Re-set Button”.
Last Wednesday, the wife of the Abia Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti was seen at Ngwa Road Motherless Babies Home in Ohazu, Aba and the Seventh-Day Adventist Motherless Babies Home, Ogbor-Hill, Aba to bring succour to the Less Privileged as part of the event to commemorate the 32 anniversary of the state.
