Abia at 35: Otti celebrates state anniversary, says Abia is ‘only just beginning’

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, on Thursday celebrated the state’s 35th anniversary, describing its journey as one of resilience while urging residents to work towards building a better future for generations to come.

Mr Otti made the remarks in a statewide broadcast to mark the anniversary of the state’s creation on 27 August 1991.

Abia was created by the former military leader Ibrahim Babangida after years of agitation by political, traditional, religious and intellectual leaders from the area.

The governor paid tribute to past leaders, including the late Ogbonnaya Onu, the state’s first democratically elected governor, as well as former governors Orji Kalu, Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the military administrators who governed the state in its early years.

“Like all of us, our past leaders may not have been perfect, but we must never lose sight of their efforts at building a political entity that answers to the aspirations of all who share in its heritage,” Mr Otti said.

‘We are only just beginning’

Mr Otti said the anniversary should not only be a moment of celebration but also an opportunity to recognise that much more work remained to be done.

“While it is only decent that we congratulate ourselves for the blessings of the last 35 years, it is also prudent that we remind ourselves that we are only just beginning,” he said.

He said his administration had invested in education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, housing and information and communication technology over the past three years.

Mr Otti said more than 1,000 kilometres of roads had been fixed across urban and rural communities, while thousands of teachers and health workers had been recruited and trained.

He said the government was developing primary healthcare facilities across the state’s 184 wards and had invested in smart schools and efforts to strengthen health insurance.

The governor also said the state was expanding investment in agriculture to create jobs and raise household incomes, while deploying technology to improve land administration and expand opportunities for young people.

Gratuity, arrears

Mr Otti said his administration had commenced payment of accumulated gratuity arrears dating back to 2001 and promised to continue the payments as resources became available.

“The old practice of denying retirees what is due them will no longer obtain,” he said.

Mr Otti urged residents to pay their taxes and statutory fees, support security agencies and resist actions that could undermine the state’s development.

“Abia is ours to build, and thankfully, we are on the right track,” he said.

Chidoka reflects on Abia’s changing fortunes

Former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, who delivered a lecture to mark the anniversary, later reflected on what he described as critical moments in Abia’s political history.

In a tweet on X after the lecture, Mr Chidoka said former governor Orji Uzor Kalu had, at the beginning of the Fourth Republic, positioned Abia prominently in national politics at a time when the South-east was seeking a stronger voice.

He said that period eventually faded as infrastructure deteriorated and the state’s national standing diminished, while Aba increasingly appeared to thrive despite the government.

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Mr Chidoka said the resulting decline created another opportunity, which he believes Mr Otti has recognised through efforts to restore confidence in government and rebuild infrastructure.

He argued that strong leadership and strong institutions should not necessarily be viewed as opposites, saying leaders at critical moments should build systems that can eventually function without them.

“The strongman makes himself indispensable. The strong leader builds a system that can eventually work without him,” he wrote.

He posed a question he said was central to Abia’s present moment: “Can the present Abia moment become the permanent Abia standard?”