100 Days as Governor: For Otti, the morning shows the day

If his performance in the first 100 days of being in office is an augury of what is to come, then Abia state is on a great voyage of redemption and renaissance.

Dr. Alex Otti’s first 100 days in office, has been remarkable not just in infrastructural transformation of Aba, Umuahia and other towns but in policy direction of the clear path Abia State will thread in the next four years of his administration.

Dr. Otti has drawn from the reservoir of knowledge and experience as an erudite economist and seasoned banker to launch economic reforms that are breathing life into Abia State’s hitherto comatose economy.

Otti has hit the ground running making fiscal accountability a cornerstone of his administration. He embarked on a comprehensive audit of the state’s finances, uncovering some misappropriation and of mismanagement and initiating measures to block all loopholes. By promoting transparency and prudent financial management, Otti has paved the way for financial stability in Abia State, a state so blessed yet suffers a steady hemorrhage occasioned by bad governance of successive administrations.

The Governor’s first 100 days in office symbolizes a promise of a better future, one where Abia State would thrive economically, socially, and educationally.

As the state continues to reap the benefits of Otti’s early efforts, it is expected that his tenure will be a turning point in Abia State’s history, setting the stage for a brighter and more prosperous future for all its citizens.

Abia State, fondly referred to as “God’s Own State” and once a beacon of hope, found itself ensnared in a web of wasted years and the persistent clutches of bad governance. As the years rolled by, the promises of development, progress, and prosperity remained elusive for the people of the state. It is a tale of immense potential held back by a recurring cycle of mismanagement and poor leadership.

The state that boasts of rich arable land, creatively gifted population, industrious people, a commercial hub east of the Niger and rich culture, yet, despite these advantages, Abia State and its people have struggled to tap into its full potential. The past years have been the years of locust marked by willful plundering of the commonwealth of the state by a few privileged individuals in government and their non-state actors’ accomplices. This led to stagnation and numerous missed opportunities that could have propelled the state into greatness.

One of the most glaring signs of Abia’s wasted years was its crumbling infrastructural facilities: roads riddled with potholes, dilapidated public buildings, collapse health and education sectors, dysfunctional civil service with years of unpaid salaries and pensions, among other rots in the system.

The backwardness of Abia state that preceded Otti’s administration is a stark reminder that successive administrations have failed to prioritize the basic needs of the people.

Abia’s economy, once promising, was in shambles. The state’s industrial hub, Aba, which was once a thriving centre for trade and commerce, grappled with myriad issues like inaccessible roads, inadequate power supply and lack of access to credit for small businesses. As a result, the economy stagnated with an alarmingly high unemployment rate.

In Otti’s 100 days, Aba is wearing a new look; streets previously decorated with refuse are now cleaned up and wearing a better look.

In Aba, roads that were hitherto abandoned are now being macadamized and commissioned for the smooth movement of people and goods. Some of the newly commissioned roads are complemented with other road infrastructure in Aba such as street solar lights including; Emelogu, Shallom and Cemetery. Otti is said to have rehabilitated, awarded contracts and commissioned 11 roads in Aba within his first 100 days as Governor of the state. Other parts of the states are not left out in this infrastructural drive to create a livable state in Abia.

Abia’s education sector faced its fair share of challenges. Neglected schools, unqualified teachers, and a lack of modern teaching aids hindered the growth of the state’s youth. Lecturers and other non-academic staff in the state’s institutions of higher learning such as Abia State Polytechnic Aba, Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, State University and teaching hospital have gone for upward of 24 months or more without salary. Even the Teachers and students in the lower rung of education: primary and post-primary were abandoned to their fate. This bred a population of de-motivated teachers and demoralised students. The results were unaccredited courses in some of the state tertiary institutions by the relevant bodies and very poor performance in external exams such as WAEC and NECO by the students.