Ikpeazu’s re-engineering work in 100 days

Some years back, Chidi Amuta, a freeborn of Abia State and a publicist, expressed disappointment at the level of deterioration of his state. In one of his published essays, headlined: ‘The Abia Tragedy’, Amuta noted that: “The tragedy on the ground is that for the past 12 years plus (at the time the piece was written), the state government has progressively eroded and degraded the environment for enterprise and self-sufficiency that most genuine enterprises have closed shop, chased away by multiple tolls, levies, taxes, criminal gangs and a dead infrastructure.”

After his damning assessment of the state and the harsh words for those who had presided over it since 1999, he dropped what looked like a prophecy: “However, sad as it is, Abia is still recoverable.”

Indeed, for those who have been following the current re-engineering work in Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu appears to have come to recover the state from the brinks.
Observers believe that the performance of Governor Ikpeazu in the state so far may have vindicated those who reposed much confidence in him that he has come to do things in a different, better way.

Whereas some of his counterparts inaugurated same May 29 are yet to wake to the reality of challenges of office and how to confront them, Ikpeazu has since hit the ground running with so many ideas and projects.

New political orientation

First, he started by ushering in a new political orientation in the state, telling the people that political office is purely for service, and that it is ultimately ephemeral.
Ikpeazu, demystifying the office of the governor, told his fellow Abians never to address him as

“His Excellency” and that nobody should add, “Executive” to his name. He said he was comfortable with simple prefix “Governor”.

He cut down on his entourage; cancelled the use of siren by himself, and pledged to draw only 50 percent of his salary and allowances. He does not believe in being sandwiched by security personnel because he believes he is doing what the people want and has no fear of any attack. For these steps, there’s a new thinking about power in the state right now.

Integrated payroll verification system

Before he took over the reins of power in Abia, ghost worker syndrome was rampant. The payroll had a bloated workforce that never existed. Within this period, about N170million has been recovered and to stem the ugly tide, the state government is planning a biometric data collection of all living workers in its employ. To effectively do this, a new mechanism- integrated payroll verification system (IPVS)- has been put in place to carry out necessary and adequate staff auditing.

Efforts at raising the state’s IGR

Before now, past administrations in the state were not able to harness all the resources in the state to yield a monthly income beyond N500million. So, the internally generated revenue (IGR) since 1999 hovered within that region on a monthly basis. But the current administration has put machinery in motion to up the ante, targeting N1.5billion.

Speaking with some journalists in Lagos last weekend, Godwin Adindu, chief press secretary to Governor Ikpeazu, said: “In the next few weeks, nobody is going to pay any levy to anybody by hand, but through the bank and then they will be given a teller which they’ll show as proof of payment. In the past, a lot of money was lost. There were different people collecting all manner of taxes and levies and they were not appropriately remitted. Even non-indigenes of the state were collecting taxes. The present government has engaged reputable consultants to harness the huge IGR. Collection of taxes and levies will now be harmonised and paid into government coffers.”

Establishment of Abia State Economic Advancement Team (ASEAT)

Between the period of inauguration and now, the Ikpeazu administration has also produced a new economic blueprint for the state which is aimed at driving the new economic initiatives. A team of experts had been put together to draw an economic roadmap for the new administration.

Establishment of the Office of Aba Urban Renewal

Adindu disclosed that apart from other interventions his principal has made within this period, an Aba urban renewal office has been established to, drive the new effort towards the infrastructural renewal of the city; ensure that Aba is transformed to a city of basic modern amenities; restore order and sanity in building of shops, kiosk, office and residential buildings; drive the new programmes towards the park reform and general rehabilitation work. According to him, the goal in all of these, is to make Aba the SME capital of Nigeria
On the multiple taxation that was a huge headache in the past, upon assumption of office, Ikpeazu moved against the untoward practice. He created what is called ‘Government Public Finance Restructuring’ aimed at harmonizing taxes and levies. He declared war against double taxation; sacked touts and illegal agents in the revenue drive. These were all geared toward blocking avenues through which government finances were being siphoned.

Education

In the education sector, the governor launched what is known in Abia today as “E for E” (Education for Employment). Believing that the essence of any education is putting the knowledge acquired to use, the scheme seeks to reactivate vocational education in Abia. Vocational schools have been established where youths are trained and at the end of which they given a grant to enable them set up on their own. The chief press secretary also said that four dilapidated schools in each of the 17 local governments have been rehabilitated.

Agriculture
The state government further said that it has launched ‘Youth for Agriculture Programme’ and that arrangements have been concluded to send on annual basis 40 youths for training at the Songhai Farms in Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin.
“It’s a train-the-trainer initiative in the entire agricultural value-chain,” Adindu said.

Dredging of Aba River

For the first time since the creation of the state in 1991, the Aba River was dredged in the first 100 days of Ikpeazu administration. The state government said it is to improve “tourism, environmental protection purposes and to enhance drainage flow.”

Desilting of drainages

Over the years, major cities in Abia, particularly Aba, attracted newspaper headlines and featured as special focus on television stations as a result of the level of refuse dumps found in them. Drainages were blocked and illegal structures were erected, causing huge flooding whenever it rained in the state. The current administration in the state has already begun desilting of the drainages in the major cities of Abia. BusinessDay gathered that aggressive efforts are also being made to deliver good roads in the state. The state government believes that good roads would help in the movement of goods and materials while would ultimately, positively impact the economy of the state.

Construction of 27 roads

The Chief press secretary to the Governor said: “Massive work is going on on the 27 roads under construction. The original plan was to commission them within the first 100 days. The road construction cuts across Aba, Umuahia and Abia North.”

Restoring security

According to him, shortly after inauguration of the Ikpeazu government, kidnapping resurfaced, but the governor had to go to Abuja to make special arrangement for road blocks to be restored in the state. “The soldiers were brought back and there was also the re-engineering the Police,” Adindu said.

Pension reform and payment of pensioners’ salaries

Pensioners in the state are said to have been verified and their pension paid straight into their accounts. BusinessDay was told that the pensioners have been paid up to June, and that they are very happy with government.
Moreover, on the reinstatement of sacked non-indigenes, about 102 are said to have been reinstated in Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) and their June salary paid.
Out of 295 in ASUPEB,(Primary Board), 63 have been cleared and slated for July salary, while the rest are awaiting their clearance by the office of the Auditor-General of the Local Government.

One of the major campaigns of the new administration is to restore the economic glory of Aba, hence, the “Made-in-Aba Campaign”.
Today, the governor is the chief brand ambassador of made-in-Aba goods as he adorns made-in-Aba outfits wherever he goes. He has consciously embarked on an aggressive promotion of the Aba products, and he is setting up Marketing and Standard Regulatory Board to ensure that the Aba entrepreneur is encouraged.

Tourism/Investment Promotion
Arrangements are on to organise the maiden Enyimba Carnival in Aba in December; he has sent a bill to the House of Assembly for the setting up of Abia State Investment Promotion Agency; he has appointed a Special Adviser on Public Private Partnership and Investment Promotion (PPP/IP), whose brief is the setting up of a one-stop investment Centre (OSIC) in Abia to facilitate easy processes on investment.

Health

In the area of health, the state governor has identified two tertiary health centres in each of the three Senatorial Districts in the state and brokered a public private partnership arrangement where a private hospital management firm will take over these hospitals and run them.
He is said to be reviewing the state’s Health Insurance Policy with a view to reactivating and strengthening it.

 

Agomuo Zebulon