ABIA AT 25 AND THE WISDOM OF ELDER(PROF) S O IGWE:
As chronology and history have it, Abia State clocked twenty-five years yesterday.
The Governor of the State, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph.D, being a child of God and one who unequivocally believes in God, marked the state's silver jubilee with a multi-denominational church service at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia.
In line with the expectation of the good people of the state, Governor Ikpeazu assured Abians of his administration's commitment to good governance.
He used the opportunity offered by the occasion to itemize some major achievements of his government in areas of infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, commerce, security and other key areas.
Governor Ikpeazu also highlighted his inclination to running an all-inclusive government in which every part of the state is represented.
The Governor was,however, not unmindful of the costly distractions his government had suffered as a result of incessant litigations against him since his emergence as Governor.
One good thing that added to the confidence of Abians yesterday in the Governor was his broad-minded attitude to those who have been unrelenting in their determination to disparage and vilify him.
Unlike what many others in his shoes would have resorted to, Governor Ikpeazu made it clear that God that made it possible through the massive support of Abians for him to be Governor knew he would pass through the experiences he has been going through and concluded that the challenges do not call for vindictiveness.
He made it clear that for the state to occupy its proper position in the comity of states, all hands must be on desk.
Ikpeazu, using the event to unveil the Abia Logo and State Anthem, made it plain that the two symbolize the collective aspirations of the people of Abia State.
He, therefore, offered an olive branch to all those who feel embittered against him and his government to have a re-think and place the collective interest of the state above their own personal or sectional agenda.
At a Banquet hosted by Governor Ikpeazu for a multitude of stakeholders at the Government Lodge, three eminent personalities spoke on behalf of the stakeholders; Chief Uzodinma Okpara for Abia-Central, Sir Don Ubani for Abia-South and Prof S O Igwe for Abia-North.
In his speech, Prof Igwe, a former Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu and an Elderly Statesman observed that a major problem the Ikpeazu administration has been having in the state is the insincerity of many of those working in his government who, most unfortunately and retrogressively, constitute themselves as obstacles to internal revenue generation in the state.
Now that the erudite elder statesman has courageously blown the lid of the cabal in the Abia revenue generation open; a heartless and ruthless cabal that diverts millions of naira generated internally by so-called revenue agents whose modus operandi dent the good image of Governor Ikpeazu's government, it has become imperative that the revenue machinery which has failed abysmally should be completely reviewed and overhauled to inject the required ingredients of transparency, patriotism, brilliance and altruism.
To leave the machinery as it is, is to allow sentiment to prevail over reason.
Sir Don Ubani; KSC, JP
Okwubunka of Asa
Executive Director
Centre For Equity & Eradication of Rural Poverty.