By Emeka Alex Duru
On account of the failure of his ambition to come through in 2015, many had thought that Dr. Alex Otti, Abia State governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), would rest the agenda. That, however, is not the case. In fact, as the race for 2019 politics commences, Otti, erstwhile Managing Director of Diamond Bank, has returned to the blocks, this time around, more convinced that he is the man to beat in the election.
Not even the so-called incumbency factor on the side of the governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, is enough to deter him. For Otti rather, the poor performance profile of Ikpeazu is the more reason the Abia electorate would need him for a change. He accuses the governor of lacking the preparation and insight for the job of repositioning the state.
For him, Abia, created 27 years ago, has not really moved at a pace that many had expected, considering its human capital and material resource endowments, adding that within period, the last 20 years adequately fall into a period that it can be said to be at its lowest turn. He thus, insists that the state needs change, real change, not one that is based on empty sloganeering, false promises and deceit. “Abia people”, he says, “yearn for a change that is real, tangible, purposeful and sustainable; A change that is verifiable with defined deliverables and structured milestones”.
The APGA flag bearer scores the current administration in Abia low on several points. For instance, he accuses it of not living up to expectation on offering security to its citizens and residents. According to him because of the inadequate attention on the issue of security by the Ikpeazu government, the incidences of kidnapping and other crimes have been high in the state. The result, he adds, is that the economy cannot grow in the face of insecurity as investors are scared from doing business in the state. In the process, poverty and squalor, have been on the increase.
He further alleges that despite the receipt of humongous revenues that surpassed those of previous administrations, the state is not only terribly underdeveloped but heavily indebted.
“Currently, in spite of our immense natural resources, our famed resourcefulness and industry, coupled with huge sums in federal allocation and internally generated revenue, Abia State has arguably become the worst state in the South East and South-South geo-political zones”, Otti cries.
He also raises the allegation of infrastructure decay in the state, stressing that less than five percent of roads in the capital city, Umuahia, have been maintained in the last 12 years. He cites instances of some of the worst affected areas. According to him, “Aba Road in Umuahia (not more than seven kilometres), has become a totem of deceit. The commercial city of Aba tells a gory tale of woes. Despite the government’s claim of dedicating 57 percent of its capital vote to road maintenance, majority of the roads in Aba remain in parlous conditions. The situation is even worse in abandoned rural areas in the state”.
He lists other sectors in the state that, according to him, have suffered neglect under the present administration. These, he says, include healthcare delivery, youth unemployment, education sector, human resource development, adding that the dangerous trend can only be reversed by a competent and purposeful government that can formulate the appropriate policies, create the framework and design programmes to productively engage our youths.
Otti says he is presenting himself for the arduous task, admitting however that it is not going to be an easy engagement. But he has a blueprint for the exercise. His vision, he says, is “to restore the glory of Abia and make her truly Number One State in Nigeria, as really God’s own State”. As to his mission, he announces that it is “to establish efficient and accountable government that will sustainably develop Abia State for the welfare, security and progress of all Abians”.
Otti’s agenda at repositioning Abia, is massive. Aside reviving the abandoned institutions and infrastructure in the state, repositioning Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state, as well as other areas, is among the issues close to his heart. Part of his strategies in this regard is by situating various manufacturing companies and building industrial parks in Aba in order to make the city compatible and competitive among other commercial cities in the world.
He has also announced plans to take Abia, which many presently see as a two-city state of Umuahia and Aba, to the next level in terms of growth and development by extending economic activities to other towns. But by far, his most encouraging stance in rebuilding Abia is the pledge that he is going to run the state like business, and not to depend on federal allocation and crude oil.
On account of his pedigree, not even his critics, can fault his ability in actualizing this initiative. He is certainly not new in turn-around engagement. It is on record for instance, that in his days in Diamond Bank, Otti focused on steadying the bank, which, reeling from the effects of the global financial crises of 2008/2009, had declined in size, and lost market share to competition. By the time he was through with the re-engineering, the Bank had bounced bank to reckoning in the industry.
Otti has assured that if given the chance, he will extend the same magic wand to Abia.