Senior Special Assistant on Media to Abia State governor, Ugochukwu Emezue, speaks with Special Correspondent, ONWUKWE EZERU, on the activities of his principal, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, in repositioning the state.
Governor Ikpeazu and approach to governance
One thing you cannot take away from Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is that he is God-fearing, accessible and transparent in nature. On assumption of office, he wanted to be seen as a common man. That was why he ordered that nobody should prefix “His Excellency” in his name. He has banned billboards with his pictures. All jingles aimed at praising him have also been banned. As far as he is concerned, his objective is to develop the state and not be praised.
For a start, he has hit the ground running, to show that he will take the state to another level of development. That was why on the very first day he assumed office, he had to go to Aba to flag off the rehabilitation of seven roads. That day, the people of Aba were happy. The contract was not only for rehabilitation but also for street lighting for the roads. That was a good beginning. The three senatorial zones were touched.
He went to Umuahia Central and flagged off roads and went further to flag off Ndioji-Ndiokereke-Arochukwu Road and a road at Umunnoechi in Abia North Senatorial Zone. By the grace of God, these roads, according to him, would be ready before the end of this year. This tells you the psyche of Dr. Ikpeazu. He is not a new-comer in the administration of the state. With him, Abia State would have a new lease of life.
It is worthy to note here that he has also flagged off what he called ‘Operation Clean Environment Project’ and ‘Urban Renewal Office’ at Aba to ensure that the commercial nerve of the state is given a facelift. Integrated Infrastructure Project Office has also been created to help attract donor agencies to fund some of his projects. With all these, one needs not be told that Dr. Ikpeazu has come to serve. He is a servant-leader.
Assessing the electoral process in Abia
The election has come and gone in Abia and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a party came out victorious. The party is in the majority in the Abia State House of Assembly. At the national level, PDP candidates from Abia are in the majority. Whether anybody likes it or not, PDP won. In the governorship election that was keenly contested, Ikpeazu won landslide with a very big margin. We thank God that we succeeded and that is why Abians have confidence in PDP.
Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) reclaiming the governorship mandate in Abia
Like I have said, in every contest, all contestants would want to win. The election was keenly contested under free and fair atmosphere and at the end the PDP governorship candidate (Ikpeazu) won. So, going to court by his APGA counterpart is normal after election. It is left for the election tribunal to study his presentations and pass judgment. But as far as I am concerned, Ikpeazu will win at the end. Of course, you don’t expect APGA to fold its hands. I don’t know where you got your grapevine information when the case is in the tribunal. I tell you that the hand of God is with PDP, just like we said during our campaign. Anybody telling you that he would come to reclaim mandate is living in a fool’s paradise.
PDP in Abia has come to stay and will win election in 2019. With Dr. Ikpeazu, PDP will become more united.
Assessing Governor Theodore Orji’s administration
For me, of all that Governor Orji did, one that is striking and central is in the health sector, with the establishment of a diagnostic centre “MeCure” that is of international standard. Abians and people from other states visit for treatment, instead of travelling overseas. Unless you are healthy, you cannot talk of road, light and other developments.
Advice to PDP as 2019 approaches
My advice to PDP supporters is for them to support the Ikpeazu-led administration in Abia. For now, he has banned multiple taxation in the state and soon the state will come out with a unified system of paying taxes. The governor has set machinery in motion to revitalise the garment industry, leather industry to encourage ‘Made in Aba’ goods. He is ensuring that the power sector is repositioned, youth empowered through agriculture and education. Above all, the governor is mindful of the new wave of crime in the state; just few days ago, he said he would work with the House of Assembly to fight crime in the state and has promised to procure and mount trackers all over the state to checkmate criminal elements. To achieve all these, he needs the support of all Abians. He also said that he will institute a security trust fund and empower security agencies for this security project.
At this juncture, I want to use this opportunity to thank Abia journalists for being supportive to Governor Orji’s administration that led to his success and wish that such support be extended to the regime of Ikpeazu because information is power. Without their support, the infrastructural renewal in Aba would not be made public. By their support, the world would know that a “Daniel has come to judgement”.