Sustaining Abia’s current development trajectory beyond 2027

Sustaining Abia’s current development trajectory beyond 2027

By Eagle Okoro

The recent courtesy visit to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, in his Bende country home in Abia State, by a group of jobless political hangers-on, urging him to contest the governorship election in 2027 did not actually come to watchers of political developments in the state as a surprise.

Rather, it reinforced the rumour that had gained ground within and outside Abia about Kalu’s alleged governorship ambition, since his sudden ascendency to power.

Again, his comment sometime in August 2024 that the current Labour Party-led government in Abia would be the last, obviously did not come from the blue. It emanated from an ongoing plot by the real enemies of the state and the common man to forcefully impose an All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Abia by 2027, by fire by force.

Speaking in a radio interview in Umuahia then, Kalu specifically said, “Gov. Alex Otti will be the last member of the Labour Party (LP) to govern Abia State.”

According to him, the next governor of the state will come from APC.

Kalu’s visitors, who claimed to be the leaders of the old Aba political bloc, known as Ukwa-la-Ngwa, said they were on a mission to cajole him to stand for the 2027 governorship race, following what they considered his “outstanding legislative performance”. Faultless assessment, no doubt.

Nonetheless, this is the stock-in-trade of such political hirelings, who wander about the state cajoling and luring some power bags into the contest, notwithstanding their preys’ glaring disinterest, incompetence and unfitness.

Their primary interest is to establish a base for regular handouts for their survival, popularly called “stomach infrastructure”. Although, the season for politicking is yet far ahead, they want to be seen as the early birds. That was what they set out to achieve with their visit to the deputy speaker.

The group was reportedly led by a former Chairman of Obingwa LGA, Chief Godwin Nna, who in a speech said they were in Bende to persuade Kalu to throw down the gauntlet for the 2027 Governorship contest in Abia.
This literally implied he should prepare to challenge the incumbent Gov. Chioma Alex Otti’s massive second tenure prospects, simple and short.

Nna said: “We want to beg you, the state chairman and other well meaning Abians who are APC members that we all from Aba division, Ukwa la Ngwa have come here today to tell you that our people say that we want take over Abia State in totality.

“APC wants to take over Abia State in totality. There is no way we can have people like you, and very many others that will make things happen without taking over this State.

“If there is any time APC will not govern this State, it will not be this time. That is what we came here to tell you.

“We know you have the capacity in mobilising the people of Abia State to get to the Promised Land.

“If there is any other person that is looking for this, that is not ready, let him give a chance for any other person that has the interest of this party. That’s the reason we came here. Thanks sir.”

Obviously, what is of great essence to to this irrational and power-hungry Abians is their political aspiration to grab power principally for their personal aggrandisement through the looting and sharing of the state treasury.

Of course, the experience of their unbridled and primitive acquisition of wealth at the expense of Abia’s growth and development is still very fresh in people’s minds, even though they might have forgotten how they plundered and wrecked Abia for 24 whole years.

And because of their illusion that Abians have forgiven and forgotten about their recklessness in ripping off the state and amassing stupendous wealth, they feel they have suddenly regained their lost voices and impunity to decide and impose their choice of who becomes Abia’s governor in 2027. This is nothing other than insulting the people’s sensibilities and, as many would say, “rubbing salt on a fresh wound”.

But it would logically be right and appropriate at this juncture to give the deputy speaker his due and appreciate Abia’s rising political star, who has brought pride and honour to God’s Own State by his ascendency to national limelight early in his political career.

And so, without mincing words, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu remains a prominent, erudite and shining parliamentarian of a towering and intimidating stature. He is unequivocally a beacon of hope, largely endowed with the sophistry that eloquently defines and shapes lawmaking. He also possesses a pedigree that eminently qualifies him for greater prospects and exploits in the National Assembly and global parliamentary space.

This is where he has a calling, an area where Providence has reserved for him and where his “outstanding legislative performance” will always stand him out conspicuously as a round peg in a round hole.

And beyond this sincere and honest evaluation is the fact that Kalu is a hard and radically, rugged politician – no doubt, a political go-getter – but absolutely unfit for the office of a governor. States that experimented with his kind have yet to pull out from the economic quagmire they were carelessly plunged into by square pegs in round holes.

A sufficiently trained lawyer and an orator par excellence, his manifest exuberance, pride and unapproachability as well as his “I too sabi” demeanour combine to work against his governorship ambition, if truly he has any.

Moreso, as an apostle and product of the OUKist Movement that relishes in squandermania, callously guided by a philosophy that individuals can use the instrumentality of government to amass wealth and become richer than the state, it would amount to railroading the state back to the dark era of reckless looting of government treasury for Abia to return into the hand of yet another Kalu.

Again, this is tantamount to reversing the current course of Abia’s steady development, which has seen the state’s profile and social rating on the rise, nationally and internationally, since May 29, 2023, when Gov. Otti took over the mantle of leadership.

Without the fear of any contradiction, the government is working and Gov. Otti has consciously justified the mandate freely handed to him and everybody – the low and mighty in Abia and across the country – can testify to it.
In the words of the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Affairs, Dr Ebere Uzoukwa, “the governor has surpassed the expectations of the opposition in just two years of his administration”.

We agree that there are incorrigible cynics, who have not and may not see any difference between Abia of today and that of 24 years ago because their political attachment had beclouded their honest sense of reason.

But it is gratifying to say that the popular verdict is that Gov. Alex Otti has acquitted himself and his performance in his two years in oftice has exceedingly surpassed those of his predecessors in 24 years put together.

Those who see or say anything contrary are liars and God has reserved a befitting place for them in hell.

And having achieved a positive shift in Abia’s development paradigm, from the sharing of state resources of the old order, aka “blood tonic”, among the con-PDP chieftains, toward a more meaningful and sustainable development philosophy, what is required to take the state to higher height beyond 2027 is to abide by the wise counsel of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who urged Abians of good conscience during his recent visit to the state “not to change a winning horse”. And as is popularly said in sports, “you do not change a winning team”.

Therefore, to consistently and tenaciously sustain the current development trajectory, going forward, Abia and its good people require a man of integrity, evidently frugal in the management of scarce state resources, thorough in fiscal discipline, transparent, focused and genuinely committed to the lofty dreams and aspirations of the Abia founding fathers – and that man still remains Gov. Alex Chioma Otti. His second tenure would guarantee a consolidation of the excellent work as well as the exceptionally focused and visionary leadership he has provided.

Any other choice from the fake Ukwa-la-Ngwa group or its affiliates-in-fraud would be counterproductive and tantamount to reversing the massive development milage already achieved under Gov. Alex Otti’s keen watch. With him still in the saddle, Abia State is confidently in safe hands.

And never again shall fraudsters in political garb, who participated in frittering away the state resources meant for the development of God’s Own State, be allowed to smell power in Abia. Enough is enough!

– Eagle Okoro is Public Affairs analyst and writes from Umuahia

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.

About The Author