The New Abia at Two: Sustaining the Momentum

Being the Text of a Speech Delivered by Gov. Alex C. Otti, OFR, on May 29, 2025 to Mark the Second Anniversary of the Government

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1. Today is a special day in the annals of our history and I share in the joy of millions of Abians at home and in the diaspora whose sacrifices and resilient push for a better social and economic deal for the State took down the old stronghold that arrested our development for decades and ushered in a new dawn of hope and progress. For our people, the significance of May 29 since 2023 is no longer about change of baton from one political leader or party to another, it has come to represent a watershed moment, a turn in fortune and an enduring testimony to the truth of the invincibility of the human spirit.

1. Today, we celebrate the second anniversary of our inauguration and assumption of office as leaders of the State. One cannot but be filled with a profound sense of gratitude to the Almighty God for the privilege of being chosen to serve His people and be transformed into the vessel of their lifting from the nadir of despair to a place of restoration and hope. We are God’s own people for a reason and if there is one central lesson we can take away from the events of the last decade, even amidst the setbacks and failed expectations, it is the fact that as in the time of old, God does not abandon those who place their trust in Him.
2. We are in a good place today because millions of ndi Abia spread across the world realised long ago that we cannot attain true individual fulfilment if we do not work collectively to build a state that represents our highest ideals and values. Long before we threw our hats in the ring, the subject of rescuing Abia from the vicious grip of self-seeking opportunists had become popular amongst the elites and regular people. Our general frustration with the leadership disposition of the past was never hidden so it was no happenstance that when we presented ourselves to lead the rescue efforts, the people who had long yearned for a new order quickly took matters into their own hands. Today presents us with a golden opportunity to say thank you to the unsung heroes and heroines of the Abia liberation movement, the ordinary men and women who resisted hunger and the lure of monetary gains to fight for the promises of a new Abia. Appreciation is also due to the elites who stuck out their necks over the long duration of the campaign. Thank you for refusing to accept that we were perpetually destined to mediocrity.

1. Everything we have done in the last two years represents a modest effort at repaying your trust in us. Even then, we are also not ignorant of the fact that many of you sacrificed much more than any human endeavour can ever make up for. Today, we renew our commitment to constantly remind ourselves that we are not here to be served, that our efforts alone could not have earned us this exalted position, and that credit for whatever is achieved in our time belongs to you, ndi Abia. Your resilience and faith brought us this honour. Our duty will be to serve you committedly, and without reservation.
2. As you may know, the most enduring appeal of the democratic system of governance is the opportunity it provides for periodic stocktaking — moments of accountability to draw progress report and evaluate outcomes. Democracy is a journey and never a destination, a track and not a station. Even then, taking stock after every milestone helps in assessing the performance of the leader vis-à-vis the expectations of every stakeholder. Like in every journey of great significance, it is fitting that on a day like this, Abians are made to know how far we have come, not because they cannot see it for themselves but on account of the fact that we owe them a duty to consistently present our progress report.
3. While we cannot claim to have met every target we set at the beginning of this leg of the journey two years ago, I am glad to announce without equivocation that we have initiated strong institutional reforms that will ultimately form the bedrock of our prosperity for generations to come. Our administrative and economic institutions, law enforcement and public safety agencies, health and emergency services frameworks, and platforms for social protection and support for vulnerable groups are more robust and responsive today than they have ever been at any point in our history. We have effectively restored law and order in communities where chaos once reigned. Under our watch, road infrastructure development projects are happening at a pace no one could have imagined just a few years ago. The urban streets are cleaner and most remarkably, a new culture of collective accountability is spreading amongst residents of the State simply because we fought and defeated the old culture of filth and irresponsibility.
4. We have since established a pattern of certainty and consistency in the payment of the entitlements of workers and retirees, even after the wage bill rose by more than 130% following the implementation of the new national minimum wage. You may also be aware that over the past two years, we have committed close to N40 billion in defraying arrears of salaries and pensions accumulated before May 29, 2023. These payments are motivated by a commitment to right the wrongs of the past and give comfort to those who work or retired from the employ of the State Government that their welfare is not a matter for discretionary considerations but a sacred obligation that should not be toyed with. More significantly, the old regime of partial payment of pension is gone for good. Pensioners now get 100% of their entitlements at the end of every month.
5. We have continued to fix the environment where our workers operate from. Some abandoned buildings like the Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat have been reclaimed and renovated. The JAAC building has been completed and workers now operate from there. Many other buildings including the Michael Okpara Auditorium are being rebuilt.
6. Beyond what we pay to those who draw their monthly cheques from public coffers on account of their employment, we have also raised the bar in meeting our contractual obligations to vendors and contractors promptly. We have established a system that pays contractors as soon as they reach agreed milestones. This is to avoid unnecessary liabilities that could derail project delivery timelines. We have also gone a notch higher to adopt a policy of fair compensation to individuals who suffer property losses in the course of development activities. Effectively, whoever is involved in any legitimate transaction with the State can expect to be fairly treated.

1. In very specific terms, the last two years have seen the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of 237 roads in different parts of the State stretching hundreds of kilometres with Port Harcourt Road, Ohanku, Obohia, Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard, Library Avenue, Joe Irukwu Way and Arochukwu-Ndi Okereke-Ozuabam roads being the most prominent following years of neglect and failed promises. I am glad to report that our road infrastructure development footprint has touched every local government area of the State. Our roads now bear certain distinct signatures including solar-powered streetlights, directional markings to guide users, appropriate drainage pathways to increase the service life of the roads and other safety features.
2. Closely connected to our road infrastructure development programme is the modernisation of the State’s public transport system. With the road networks across intra and intercity routes in improved conditions, we have set out modalities to upgrade the way we move people and goods round the State. We expect to take delivery of new electric-powered buses procured for mass transit services shortly. The supporting infrastructure, including charging stations, junction improvement works and bus shelters are in various stages of completion. When operational by the third quarter of this year, the mass transit system would reduce cost and improve efficiency in commuting.
3. Through the setting up of robust institutional frameworks, the State Government is brining every community in Abia into the development circuit. The Greater Aba Development Authority and the Greater Ohafia Development Authority are established to coordinate development activities within the southern and northern parts of the State respectively. They are also structured to stimulate economic growth by creating a system of incentives for investors. Just this week, I signed the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA) Amendment Bill into law. The new law will further streamline the operational activities of the UCDA to guarantee optimal service delivery and effective administrative responsiveness in line with global best practices. It is now beyond dispute that new framework for the accelerated development of all parts of the State has been set in motion. We expect to reap the benefits of these initiatives through accelerated investments in real estate, targeted infrastructure development and job opportunities for tens of thousands of our young people.
4. We have consciously kept the young people at the centre of our development programmes because the future belongs to them. Our priority from the get-go has been to build a suitable environment that would enable them take advantage of the opportunities that the new global economic order promises. Over the past two years, we have committed generous amounts of resources in the training and upskilling of thousands of young people, exposing them to life-transforming opportunities in the agricultural value chain, ICT, vocational education and business management. Not too long ago, 10,000 nano entrepreneurs from the 184 wards in the State got a combined support funding of N1 billion to support their businesses.
5. Our biggest investment in the lives and dreams of the young generation is in the education sector where we have consistently committed 20% of our annual financial outlays over the last two budget cycles. Just recently, we published the list of over 5,300 qualified persons recruited into the teaching workforce. We have also outlined modalities to recruit additional 4,000 qualified persons as teachers as we work to meet the surge in teacher demand following an explosion in enrolment after we made basic education in the state free and compulsory. We are not just recruiting teachers for the fun of it; we are focused on areas of critical needs like sciences, engineering, mathematics and technology. History and Igbo Language are also of great importance to us following our directive that those subjects be made compulsory in our schools.
   Our goal for the education system is to build a population of future-ready individuals who will not only make the most of the opportunities of the day but would equally not lose their identity and cultural pride while operating in a global environment.
6. Electricity has been a major clog in our development wheel for years. We appreciate that no matter how determined we become to conquer this seemingly intractable challenge, we may not attain our goal in the short term. At any rate, we have moved with a resolute determination to tackle the challenge of erratic power supply which has not only undermined our productive endeavours, but has harmed our economic growth, worsened the unemployment crisis as well as stunted the appetite to invest. I am glad that the electricity market in Aba is improving even in the midst of environmental and operational challenges. Things will also take a turn for the better in other parts of the State in the light of our negotiations with EEDC to acquire the Umuahia ring fence and take our energy destiny in our own hands. The prospects are great and we hope to finalise the deal shortly. As part of our commitment to explore multiple options to meet our energy needs, we have taken a strong dive into the alternative energy systems. From the installation of close to 7,000 solar-powered streetlights to extensive investments in new energy sources for our medical facilities and schools, we are leaving no stone unturned in the push to make electricity available for domestic and industrial activities in Abia. Just last week, we launched the Nigeria Solar for Health Project in the State. The initiative supported by the Europe Union will see the installation of alternative energy infrastructure in our health facilities especially in the rural communities where access to conventional electricity may prove difficult or too expensive. The State bought into this project because in addition to transforming access to healthcare and quality of service in rural communities, we shall be saving significant sums on energy bills.
7. In the health sector, I am honoured to report that remarkable progress has also been made in primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare services. Across Abia, several primary healthcare facilities which hitherto lay moribund are now fully operational after we successfully renovated, staffed and supplied drugs and medical consumables. More than 100 primary healthcare centres successfully fixed under Project Ekwueme in different parts of the State are now ready for commissioning. Over the last 24 months, the State Government diligently completed the renovation of Government Cottage Hospital Abayi. In Ikwuano, Ohafia, Obingwa, Okeikpe, Arochukwu, Umuihe and Nkporo, our team of builders and architects are working hard to meet the deadline given for the completion of on-going renovation works in the general hospitals. In Okpualangwa, Umunneochi and Ukwa East, arrangements have been concluded for the building of brand new general hospitals to meet the health needs of the population. The last 2 years have also seen the restoration of full accreditation to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba. The facility, I am happy to note, has acquired the necessary equipment and tools to offer a wide range of medical services. In Umuahia, the Abia State Specialist and Diagnostics Hospital is now primed to effectively attend to the health needs of individuals and families. The eye care centre located within the facility has since achieved distinction as a major regional hub for excellence in eye care.

1. Beyond the great outputs recorded across multiple development frontiers, we have also not neglected the plight of the most vulnerable in our communities, committing more than N500 million in social support to vulnerable individuals and families in communities in the State. We have also been up to date in meeting our obligations in donor-funded social care programmes designed to support the economically disadvantaged in our societies. Since we assumed office, tens of thousands of individuals have benefitted from needs-driven interventions sponsored by the Federal Government and multilateral donors to cushion the effects of economic difficulties.
2. The social and economic impacts that have been made in the last 2 years point us to what lies ahead in the next 24 months of our current term of office. Through an intelligent leadership recruitment philosophy, our interventions, social services, economic transformation, and administrative structures are living up to their billing following the introduction and adoption of multiple layers of reforms across ministries, departments and agencies. A new service orientation has been adopted in our bureaucracy and the old culture of nonchalance abandoned. There is greater liquidity in our economy today and new businesses are emerging; unemployment figures are going down and our fiscal transparency rating is increasingly moving north. Aba’s old glory is returning and Abia has emerged as an attractive destination for hundreds of thousands of people surging into our communities from different parts of the country in search of new opportunities. Landlords are seeing an astronomical rise in property value and investor confidence is at all-time high.
3. The remarkable strides that have been recorded across several development frontiers in the last 24 months could not have happened without the active partnership of the legislative and judicial arms of government. You deserve generous commendations for extending strong institutional support to the executive branch of government and for adopting the service orientation of the New Abia in the discharge of your constitutional duties. Thank you for demonstrating that independence of structure need not lead to antagonism in the pattern of relationship between different arms of government.
4. Again, it is not yet uhuru as I hinted at the beginning and we have to resist the temptation to get carried away. The task before us is still enormous and we should reject anything that is capable of distracting us from our goal. One thing we shall never stop asking for is your support and encouragement through regular and prompt payment of taxes and other statutory fees. Do not forget that we are all partners in the New Abia project. My assurance is that every penny paid into the public coffers under our watch shall be properly accounted for. Abia, as we promised in our manifesto, shall be great in our lifetime and it is up to all of us to make it happen.
5. I want to thank people who have supported this government in the last two years by giving of their precious time, mostly on pro bono basis, to ensure that we get it right. The Global Economic Advisory Council jointly led by Arunma Oteh, HRH Khalifa Sanusi and Mr. Bolaji Balogun has been wonderful in supporting us with economic strategy and direction. The Security Advisory Council led by Lt. Gen. Azubuike Onyeabo Ihejirika has helped tremendously in supporting the security architecture of the state, just like the Service Commanders and Operation Crush.
6. Let me, as I conclude, pay special tribute to family members, friends and colleagues who laboured for the emergence of the New Abia but did not live to see it materialise. May we be inspired by their courage and at all times remember that what we achieved in 2023 did not come cheap. It is up to us, the living, to guard this victory for which these brave heroes and heroines gave their lives. We pray God to grant them eternal rest and comfort those they left behind.
7. Thank you for listening and may God bless Abia State.

Dr Alex C. Otti, OFR,

May 29, 2025