On Tuesday, 22nd April, a delegation from the Abia State Classic Golf and Country Club led by the Chairman, Arch. Benson Ezem paid a courtesy and working visit to the Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR.
Governor Otti thanked the leadership of the club for the visit and their support for his administration. He reiterated that the modest achievements of his administration are just service to our people.
“The truth of the matter is that, we have always maintained that, Governance is not rocket science, but then, you cannot give what you don’t have” Gov. Otti stated.
Gov. Otti urged Abians not to allow apprentices into the serious business of Governance. He maintained that Abia cannot afford to go back to the past.
“If you concede to your place being used to learn work, they will use you to experiment.
“What it means is that nobody wants to engage his car in a reverse except if you want to go back. And, when you go back, it should be temporary and you want to go back to move forward, not to engage your car in reverse and start heading in the opposite direction. Even when you decide to do that, you must reduce your speed to avoid bumping into those who want to move forward” Gov. Otti explained.
The Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to gender balance in our society.
“There is also something about Abia State that we don’t do deliberately but it’s just that way. After you have recognised all the people that came for the tournament on Saturday, the 19th, especially the Deputy Governor, you forgot the most important person I sent, the wife of the Deputy Governor. She was there but nobody mentioned her. In our administration, we are very very sensitive to gender. I was expecting the club to thank me for dispatching her with her husband because we know where the power lies and she actually dragged her husband along and deserve to be recognised”, Gov. Otti clarified.
The Governor encouraged the people and community leaders to endeavour to keep their environment tidy and protect the investment his administration is putting in Aba, including the solar streetlights, drainages and other public assets which stand the risk of being looted.
The Governor told his visitors of his plans for Aba-Owerri Road and emphasised on the velocity of money;
“You may have noticed that we are trying to redo the Aba-Owerri Road, all the way to the beginning of Asa Road and ending at the flyover. I am sure you must also have seen the fountain we are building there. So, the whole idea is that when you are entering Aba, you will know that you are entering the commercial Enyimba City, where people don’t sleep, it is no longer a sleepy town that it used to be. We want everywhere to be lite up so that the city will actually re-assume its status as the city that never sleeps; where people operate on 24 hours basis; where your money never go to bed”. He encouraged the people to support the government by paying their taxes.
Reacting to the request for land around Umuahia earlier made by the Chairman of Abia Classic Golf and Country Club, Governor Otti promised to look into it. He admitted that even though Golf is an elite game for a class of people but a Golf estate will appeal to people, even outside the game of golf.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of Abia Classic Golf and Country Club, Arch. Benson Ezem thanked the Governor for his infrastructural strides across the State. He appreciated the Governor for transforming and restoring the State to her past glories.
The Chairman thank the Governor for sending the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu to represent him at the Golf tournament in Aba, last weekend. He express his excitement that Abians are again proud to be identified as Abians. He requested for about 120 Hectares of land located around Umuahia to be allocated by the Governor for a Golf Resort in Abia State. The Chairman enumerated the strategic, economic, tourism and social importance of having a Golf resort in Abia State.
In his vote of thanks, a member of Abia State Classic Golf and Country Club, Chief Jerry Kalu (Oshimiri) thanked the Governor for his warm reception to the delegation and encouraged him to continue in his intentional positive trajectory.
The meeting had other 2 members of the club present, Mr. Oliver Maduka and Bill Amaech while the Honourable Commissioner for Sports and Youths Development, Mr. Nwaobilor Nwadimma Ananaba, Honourable Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday and the Technical Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Charles Egonye were on the Government team.
Ctz. UKOHA NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
22-04-2025
