MY GOOD PEOPLE OF ABIA STATE!

Today, the 29th day of May, is a very significant day for all of us in many ways that are worthy of remembrance. First, it is yet another anniversary of our annual Democracy Day celebrated all over the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It signifies a day that all Nigerians have chosen to celebrate the ideals and gestation of the global values of democracy in our Nation, and its challenges to all to continue to nurture and grow the institutions and values that support democracy, both in our public and private lives.

Secondly, today is also the first anniversary of the return of our Government to power for a second term in office, through your massive votes and support. This is a day we find worthy of celebrating, because of what it means to Abians. Through the electoral victory you massively gave us one year ago, we put the final nails to the coffin of despotism and god-fatherism in Abia State. And we then began the consolidation of the elite politics of Abia State and took it to the mainstreams of Nigeria’s politics, with its obvious advantages and dividends.

It is also the one year anniversary of when we boldly tackled the challenges of our State’s security and dealt with kidnapping, which had almost crippled our cities and rural areas.
Today, Abia has been acclaimed as one of the safest cities in Nigeria, and our environment is once again safe for us to live freely and aspire for greater things, and for local and foreign entrepreneurs to participate in. These flash backs are just pointers to show that here in Abia State, we indeed have a good reason to celebrate today.

I am aware that the last 12 months still elicit different feelings and challenges for many of our citizens and our Government. We have not grown our jobs as fast as we expect, to accommodate all deserving job-seeking citizens; and our infrastructural challenges are still enormous, even as we make progress. For all these, I must thank all Abians for their patience and for keeping faith with our Government.

Our dreams to leave a lasting legacy of sustainable development, growth and transformation of Abia State is still alive, and I invite all Abians to continue to work along with us and collaborate with our Government to achieve the desired goals.

While in the last one year, we may not have accomplished everything we set out to do, we have worked with sincerity, faith and prudence in the service of Abians and our impressive score cards will show for it.

I need however, to remind Abians that the effective governance of a State, is just like a relay race. There must be consistency along the value-chain, to produce the desired goal and victory. While Abia State was created more than 20 years ago, our past leaders managed its affairs in an ad-hoc basis, often lacking in durable foundation and personal commitments, but mostly, weighed down by self-promoting tendencies and power mongering.

Our Administration in the beginning of our second tenure, a year ago, resolved to take up the hard task of building Abia State on a solid base, that can stand the test of time. This process may be slow, but the results will be enduring, and we see this as the only reasonable way to go for the sake of our posterity.

It is in the pursuit of the above dreams, that we recently commenced the building of a befitting Government House for Abians in Umuahia, our capital city, and the first State Government funded Secretariat for our Civil Servants.

These are major symbols of Statecraft, which were ignored over the past 20 years. We have equally commenced the building of a world class International Conference Centre, which when completed will help define our State, as a knowledge and hospitality tourist State.

These are equally, enduring enterprises that will for-ever, create jobs, as well as the enabling and sustainable environment for development of our State.

In the past one year, we have forcefully tackled some of the State’s lingering and abandoned infrastructural facilities. We recently tackled the notorious Ukwu-Mango road and drainage construction, to open up better access to our major market of Ariara. This is in addition to the reconstruction and construction of many new roads in our State. An updated account will show that we have more than 38 road constructions going on in various parts of the State. It is our wish to continue to do more, as we open up more access roads in the State.

In the past one year, we have also concentrated enough attention in reviving our previously dead Health care delivery system. This is because we believe that only a healthy citizen can enjoy and appreciate the dividends of democracy.

That is why we established and continue to maintain a state-of-the art Specialist and Diagnostic Centre in Aba and Umuahia, a Dialysis and Ophthalmology Centre Umuahia, and doctors’ residence in Amachara, - all now under construction.

The aim of these establishments and collaboration is to ensure that our citizens enjoy the same special health care attentions that they travel to seek for in India, South Africa and other developed countries – often at unaffordable costs. These services will be extended to reach more areas of our State and we expect Abians to take advantage of them to improve their health and well-being.

In addition, we have also completed and equipped more than 210 Health Centers through-out the 17 LGAs of our State to cater for the health of Abians. Another 18 Health Care Centers will soon be added to these, through collaboration with MTN Foundation.

Overall, our hope is that affordable health care will be brought to the doors of citizens, especially within the rural areas.

My good people of Abia State, our Government is aware of the fact that business and commerce dominate the search for the livelihood of our people. That is why we have focused on creating the enabling environment for the growth of business, which will in turn create jobs. This can only be possible through a safe and secured State, and collaboration with the Federal Government, on all initiatives that make the big impact in jobs creation.

That is why we have keyed into the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, and doing everything possible to improve agricultural production in the State, especially in the cash crop areas and allied service chains that support SME’s job creation.

Our Government has for this, secured a N1 billion CBN Agricultural Loan, to enable genuine farmers in the State benefit, to expand their production of food and other lucrative cash crops.

We equally continue to support and sustain the security of our State at a very high cost, especially in our logistic support and collaboration with the personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Police and other security agencies. All these are aimed at ensuring that conducive environment for growth of trading activities, commerce and industry prevail, both for existing enterprises and for new entrants.

Already, the past one year witnessed tremendous growth in the interests of new investors in Abia State. Our Government recently signed an MOU with a company from the United Arab Emirate to develop our oil sector services.

Similar plans are also in process, and an MOU signed for a Canadian Company to establish a Mono-Rail Operation in our cities, with an initial job creation capacity of 2,500. We also expect a Cement Manufacturing Company to commence activities in Arochukwu in a short while, and a Quarrying Company to be established on PPP basis in Lokpanta.

When all these projects commence operations, they will yield several thousands of jobs for Abians, which will support our public sector initiatives, especially our recent creation of 4,500 jobs to empower the youths of Abia State.

We have also taken giant steps to improve the urban environments of our business locations, by both environmental renewals and relocation of services that improve entrepreneurship. Our planned relocation of the Umuahia Township Main Market from its present position to a more spacious site, has commenced at the Ultra Modern Ubani-Ibeku Market. While the rehabilitation of the internal roads in Ariara International Market and Ekeoha Main Market are also on-going. At the same time, work is going on to relocate the old Industrial Market in Umuahia, to Azueke-Ibeku, and to be completed before December this year.

Within the last year in focus, our transformational agenda has also focused on providing adequate housing for our civil service workers.


Presently, we have embarked on the construction of 3 gigantic secretariat complexes, and work is on-going on two. An administrative building is also being constructed in the Ministry of Justice, which is nearing completion. Further-more, a Broadcasting House is on-going at the Premises of BCA, to ease their office accommodation and to provide them with the state-of-the art studio, in readiness for their digitalization.

We have also completed the construction of 4 houses at the permanent site of the NYSC camp in Umunna, while a massive theatre hall is being constructed at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba, and four new duplexes being constructed at the premises of the Commissioners’ quarters.

In addition, a new permanent Administrative building is under construction in Ogurube layout, and the old Civil Service Secretariat is being renovated.

The Legislative Arm of our governance is also being funded, leading to their good performance, both in legislative out-put and in terms of capital projects. Their main legislative complex is being reconstructed and an additional administrative building is on-going, while the residence of the Deputy Speaker has been completed.

The Judicial Arm, despite its many constraints did its best within the period under review. Consequently, our Government has stepped up its resolve to help the Judiciary by the construction and renovation of court buildings across the State. Currently a new 6 court room building is under construction at the premises of Umuahia High Court.

The old Aba High Court building has been renovated, and a new four court room building at the same premises, is being constructed, while the Customary Court of Appeal in Umuahia, has been expanded and renovated.

My fellow Abians, it is informative that our Government has been able to take the State this far, only through the prudent management of our lean resources, and without borrowing from any quarters. We are presently working hard to reposition our State Infrastructural Development Board and Fund, so that our citizens can willingly, contribute their taxes and infrastructure levies to improve our State’s internally generated revenue (IGR), which will assist us further in providing the services that Abians need .

My good people of Abia State, before I end this broadcast, I need to re-emphasize that our Government is very sincere in our approach in solving the many problems of our State. No one should fail to recognize that a major factor that contributed to the development problems of our State is that our development issues were ignored in the past, and left to fester till now. Our new Government in this second tenure, has just started the truly sustainable mending-process, in which a majority of our citizens are now united to achieve.

What is therefore required of all of us now – both Government and citizens is patience to plant this seed, prudence to nurture it, and sincerity of purpose to harvest it for new generations, who will continue to implement the change.

I will continue to assure all Abians that our Government will not shy away from doing this difficult task, and we will definitely make the difference in taking the governance and development of Abia State to the next level.

As our second tenure draws forth, with all the strength, and with all the experience we have garnered in life and in office; with all the confidence that Abians daily impact on me; with the genuine criticisms we receive from many Abians and other Nigerians, and the strong loyalties of many of you listening out there, I can now re-affirm the promise I made to Abians last May 29, 2011, ‘that I will do whatever is right, and what is best to serve Abia State and leave a legacy that promotes sustainable growth, peace, democracy and development of Abia State’.

God helping me, I and my Government will not fail Abians!

We are however, not unmindful that some un-repentant critics out there will continue to see nothing new in all our efforts. I can only assure them that our new magic framework for Abia is that we know what to do, and Abia’s problems will soon yield to the sustained efforts of our sincerity of purpose, to serve no one else, but the general interest of Abians.

We see this as the challenge of our political leadership, and we have the courage and singleness of purpose to reach the objective, so that our second tenure in office and our Government, goes down in the history of Abia State, as one that listened, and understood what needed to be done to develop Abia State, and had the discipline and resolve to move above self interest, to carry it through.
My good people of Abia State, this will remain the task of Abia State Government, under Ochendo, from now to the end of our tenure in 2015. We promise you, that everything will turn around in Abia State, and we will transmit this State greater, better and more prosperous than it was transmitted to us.
I thank you for listening.