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As I made my way through the morning traffic, the air was so saturated with moisture that it hung in a thick mist somewhere between rain and fog: unable to decide. It blew about in the light wind mixing with damp cold. The streets of London were alive despite their dreary and lifeless appearance. Schoolchildren, in their matching uniforms seemingly impervious to the cold, walked by shops already filled with customers. With the Governor’s radio interaction with Abians in my mind, I walked faster, ensuring I get to the lounge of London College of Communication on time before it commenced.
One may ask; why the rush? Shebi you know all the work the Governor is doing? Well, of these, what seems to enchant me most, whenever the Governor is speaking, is the sincerity in what he is saying emanating through the sound of his voice, such that will inspire and give valuable insight, as only a servant leader can.
In minutes, his voice came live through the internet portal of Magic FM. I listen as he talked about the things he is doing in Aba. Through the glass door of the institution lounge, I could see the busy cold street of London again. I drifted in thoughts – London, in its prosperity and security, expressed visibly on the streets through fashionable dresses, which are ambivalently signs of luxury, is not just the capital of England but also, similar to Aba, a major business hub in England. The density of creative industrial entrepreneurs and enterprises in London reflects the individualistic nature of many of its enterprises driven by individual artists and freelancers, showcasing great creative talents also commonly comparable with what are obtainable in Aba.
Everybody knows Aba as the commercial nerve center of the South East, where its residents are known by their ‘can do’ and dogged spirit over the years.
However, these residents, who are full of enterprising potentials have been facing myriad of challenges weighing them down and making it look like they aren’t progressive. The major obstacles confronting the Aba entrepreneurs include lack of good road, inferiority complex, low patronage and lack of connections that boosts businesses.
As an original “Nwa Aba”, who knows where the shoe pinches his brothers and sisters, the entrepreneur loving, amiable Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, on assumption of office swore to leave a lasting legacy in Aba, arresting the challenges facing the entrepreneurs and artisans there.
Dr. Ikpeazu kick-started by handling the inferiority complex of the Aba artisans which made them label their products made in China, Italy, Dubai and other countries. The Governor took some of them to Turkey and China where they were introduced to the modern shoe and garment – making. Not stopping at that, he took up their course and became the number marketer of ‘Made in Aba’ products.
Today, ‘Made in Aba’ is a well-known brand which has been showcased in many trade fairs. The ‘Aba made’, which hitherto was a laughing stock to many people is now the brand on board beyond African sub-region, courtesy of Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph. D.
Within these two years and few months in office as the Governor, Dr Ikpeazu has proven to Aba people that he is really an ‘Aba made ‘Governor. He has fixed many roads and still counting. Most of the roads fixed are those that have great economic importance to the people. More particularly, the Governor is doing what no Governor has done since the creation of Abia State. And that is, for the first time, getting to the root of the perennial problems of Ukwu Mango in Brass-Faulks-Ariaria-Express road; a road that has defied all efforts to fix it. The problem was discovered by the Setraco Construction Company, a Grade ‘A’ construction company engaged by Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. According to the company, the root problem was found in a water body known as Ifeobara basin. And the solution, according to experts, is to install a 6.8km drainage pipe to take water from Ifeobara basin straight to waterside Aba and to install water pumps and push water from Ifeobara basin to the Aba River (waterside), which has already been done.
Violr la! Ukwu Mango and Ariaria flood problem is solved.
Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is doing everything he can to encourage Aba business men with the philosophy that, if Aba is fixed, the entire State is fixed because, IGR raised from Aba, when fixed, would certainly assist in fixing other areas of the State.
One may be wondering why Governor Ikpeazu is doing all these for the people. The reason is not far-fetched; he believes that the greatest asset of Abia State is human capital. He sees it as an abnormality to abandon or negltate is human capital. He sees it as an abnormality to abandon or neglect these set of experts who create and design shoes, garments, belts, etc. and contribute to the economic development of the people of the State.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is also promoting ‘Made in Aba’ products to encourage, empower and create non-governmental jobs in the State. Imagine a situation where all the 250,000 artisans and entrepreneurs in Aba employ at least four persons to work with them. It simply means that about one million people would just be gainfully employed in non-governmental sector thereby inducing a drastic reduction of unemployment in God’s Own State.
Of course, with such development, insecurity, kidnapping, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities would reduce to the barest minimum.
It is important to note that, as a result of the Governor’s intense campaign for the patronage of our indigenous products, orders have been placed for the ‘Made in Aba’ products by the many Federal Government parastatal and agencies. So, the entrepreneurs in Aba are happy with the Ikpeazu led administration. The Aba community has no other option than to continue to throw its weight behind Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, especially in ensuring that he is reelected in 2019.
No wonder they were chanting Okezie bu ‘Nwa Aba’, Okezie bu ‘Onye Aba’ today during his numerous road inspections.
SUPPORT A GOVERNOR AT WORK.
Ubani Newman Ubani (UNU),
designs and writes from the cold street of London.
Amala nma nma nu, eke m nu.
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