Chief Press Secretary to Abia State Governor, Godwin Adindu, in this interview with our Special Correspondent, ONWUKWE EZERU, speaks on the achievements of the state government so far and his relationship with the media.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration in terms of performance
Within the first 100 days of the governor’s inauguration, this administration has constructed 27 roads that cut across the three senatorial zones in the state, especially in Aba and Umuahia. These roads are nearing completion. When you are setting a goal, you set in the sky, hoping that you can jump up to the roof top. When this is done, people will look at you and know that you have done meaningful achievements. The joy is that there is a very strong will to make that achievement.
There were so many things that were achieved within the first 100 days. Within this period, there had been new political orientation in the state. The governor started by saying ‘don’t call me by His Excellency; do not add executive to my name’. By that action, he has demystified the office of the governor and simplified governance in Abia State. He went further to cut down on his entourage, and when the heat of salary arrears was on, he cut down his salary by 50 per cent and that of his functionaries. All these actions have created a new orientation to governance.
In Abia, things are no longer done in the usual way. The way Dr. Ikpeazu is going in terms of enthroning decency and transparency in the state, things will be well. These are intangible things, that if sustained, you will see the cost that have been served for the state.
He has also said ‘do not praise-sing me’ and no award and titles because they are distractions to him. Today if you look at Abia, it has worn a new look in terms of politics. Another key achievement of the governor is the establishment of Integrated Payroll Verification System (IPVS). That system is aimed at staff audit to ascertain the actual staff in government payroll, thus reducing the huge amount of money paid to ghost workers. Through this process, the government has been able to uncover and wage war against ghost worker syndrome that was very deep in the state. About N170 million has been saved through this process.
Within the period, there had been a sort of moral revolution. Further, this administration has made efforts to raise the state’s internally-generated revenue (IGR). Before, we used to have double taxation where various agents would come to collect levy. To ensure that nobody pays double taxation, the governor harmonised the taxes paid, so that people will know the right thing to pay and where and whom to pay to. All taxes or levies are no longer paid in cash, rather payment goes to some designated banks. Of course, there is a task force set up to check financial leakages and to arrest the culprits who may illegally force people to give them cash.
There was this Abia State economic advancement team established to drive the state economic growth in the area of empowerment and other areas. This is the Aba Urban Renewal with the mandate of reviewing the infrastructure need in the area. Before now, Aba had suffered infrastructure decay. This office was charged to supervise the project and activities geared towards revamping Aba. Today, every attention is at Aba because of its economic base.
There is also what we call ‘E for E’ (Education for Employment). Through this programme, the government wants to establish vocation centres where people will be trained in various skills, and upon graduation would be empowered. This is to fight youth unemployment in the state. Government has also embarked on ‘youth for agriculture’ programme. So far, there is plan for 40 Abia youths to travel to Port Novo every year for a training in mechanised agriculture in the Songhai Farm. The idea is that they will go there and learn new methodologies of farming and come back home and get government mobilisation and take off.
Part of the efforts to revamp Aba also brought the governor to start dredging the Aba River. The idea was to expand the river and recover the natural course of the water for environmental protection purposes and for tourism. It is also to help the de-silting effort in Aba. All the drainages in Aba are being de-silted and removed, so that water can flow freely. There is no way the roads in Aba would be done without first clearing the debris in the drainages.
Security is part of the governor’s achievements. Immediately after his inauguration, kidnapping and armed robbery started rearing its ugly head in the state and the governor swung into action to arrest the situation. He went to the president to request that the army should be returned to Abia and his request was granted, and that has helped to check crime in the state.
Another achievement is the pension reform. There was a lot of issue in the pension office arising from ghost pensioner syndrome and mismanagement of fund for gratuities and pension. With the recent review and audit, dead pensioners who still receive pension were discovered. After the audit exercise, payment commenced.
Recently, Dr. Ikpeazu started the process that the last administration started and that is the recall of the disengaged non-indigenes from Abia Civil Service. The last administration recalled almost 200 of them and the present government followed suit.
Advice to PDP members as the verdict of the governorship election tribunal is awaited
Yes, some have jumped to the boat in a hurry. Some former PDP members have joined other parties; but shockingly, today they are stranded. From what they have seen in the body language of the president, all those that defected to APC are disappointed. Their hope for appointment are crashed. You can see that the South East has lost judging from the appointments the president has made. I therefore advise the PDP stalwarts in Abia to remain steadfast.
Relationship with Abia journalists
I would have said you ask how I have been able to manage the reputation of the governor. I would not blow my trumpet, but it is the public that would judge and give me a feedback. I can say that Governor Ikpeazu enjoys a very good image in Abia and Nigeria as a whole. The media have been fair to the administration because of the governor’s achievements. Abia journalists are doing their best and there is nothing to worry. My only advice is for them to write balanced report and to reflect the views of the society. They should abide by the ethics of the profession and that is giving a fair view of things. I am not asking anybody to praise the governor or PDP, but when the party has done well, say it; and when the opposition has done something good, it should be reported. I am a professional journalist. I cannot feel bad if the truth is told. In all, my relationship with Abia journalists is cordial.