Appraising Gov. Ikpeazu’s Vanguard Governor of the Year Award

 
By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
On Saturday 14th April, 2018, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu would add another feather to his hall of fames as he would be conferred with the “Vangaurd Newspaper Governor of the Year 2017″, award in Lagos. The award, according to the management of Vangurad was in recognition of the Governor’s novel contributions to good governance and purposeful leadership in Abia state.
It will be recalled that when Mr. Gbenga Adefaye led a team of editors of Vanguard recently to announce the nomination of the award to Gov. Ikpeazu at Umuahia recently, he described the governor as exceptional leader with futurists ideas’.
Indeed, Adefaye’s descriptions of Gov. Ikpeazzu was not done in borrowed robes. According to the postulations of Jay Mitchel, exceptional leaders to be authentic, humble, they balance realism and optimism, they are committed to making others better. Others are that exceptional leaders surround themselves with people better than them; they put people and long-term results ahead of processes and short-term goals; they have their team’s back; wade into conflicts; and they are self-aware. All these qualities are embodied in Gov. Ikpeazu.
Furthermore,Vanguard’s description of Gov. Ikpeazu as an exceptional leader is not a misplacement, because exceptional leaders talk openly about their struggles, both past and present, as well as their successes. They aren’t falsely humble, because they understand their strengths and operate within them. They are same person when they sit in the leadership chair as when they are at home, on the golf course, or in the gym. Leaders talk about real life issues and real world problems. People naturally follow authentic people because they know what they can count on them to be consistent, truthful, open, relationally-intelligent, and honest.
Gov. Ikpeazu is a perfect match of what Christ said about the requirement of humility in leadership, which is aptly captured in Matthew 23:11 thus: “The greatest among you will be your servant”. He is indeed a servant leader.
Besides, Gov. Ikpeazu’s leadership is highly-driven by service to his people and he has strongly demonstrated and professed this thus:“The overriding import is service; we are desperate to give service to the people of Abia state. We will continue to do it as the funds are available. It is better we die serving Abia people. So, what are we keeping the money for? If money is available; we will use it to serve the people. Funding is not a barrier. The prayers of the good people of Abia will find the funds for us to do what we want to do. We are in government to serve the people and remember that in my early days, I said I was going to be common governor for the common people”.
The governor is a man with futuristic ideas, no doubt. This has reflected in the quality of roads he does. He pioneerd cement technology, also known as “Rigid Pavement Technology in road construction in this part of tthe country. The technology ensures the mixture of crush rock-based materials and other items to achieve a thickness fill and compaction to the level of 300mm. This is followed by a concrete reinforcement cast with 8mm to10mm-high tensil (mash of wires) reinforcement bars over the stabilised base before treating it with prime coat and asphaltic concrete. Though the cost of this technology is higher than those of the conventional construction methods, Gov. Ikpeazu chooses this technology as a means of strengthening the load-bearing capacity of roads in Abia and to boost the strength and quality of the finished work.The technology has a sustainability guarantee of10 to 20 years. Cement technology is one of the technologies used in the construction of airport runways, tarmac and places with heavy loads like machines and equipment. The technology is a good solution for achieving sustainable roads in Nigeria, and Gov. Ikpeazu does not want to waste Abia resources returning to the roads he had earlier constructed after one rainy season.
One thing that continues to bother the minds of analysts and watchers of Nigerian politics, Vanguard Newspaper. not in exception, is how Gov. Ikpeazu was able to sustain these laudable achievements despite prolonged distraction. In the words of Adefaye:”Despite daunting legal distractions, you have remained focused on your vision and mission to transform Abia state into a functional private sector-led economy; creating opportunities for citizens, improving the quality of lives and shaping the state a regional entrepreneurship hub through good governance, appropriate development and provision of sustainable enabling environment”.
The unprecedented and laudable achievements of Gov. Ikpeazu have continued to generate interest across the nation. No wonder the management of Authority Newspapers also recently nominated him “Authority Newspaper’s Governor of the year 2017” in an award that is billed later this month.
The mediun in a letter signed by Madu Onuorah, the Managing Director and Editor-in-chief, noted that Governor Ikpeazu was nominated due to his administration’s unprecedented infrastructural and human capacity development.
The letter continued: “The management of The Authority Newspapers is impressed, among your outstanding accomplishments, with your political sagacity and single minded focus on fast tracking the developing of Abia state and the enthronement of good governance in Nigeria.
“Towards this, your administration has recorded unprecedented infrastructural and human capacity development in Abia state. Specifically, we note your persistent employment drive and the deafening campaigns on the patronage of Made-in-Aba goods and services. ”
One aspect that tickles the fancy of the medium most was his transformation of Aba into a construction site where once impassable roads are now a delight to behold.
Abians let us join these media houses as they celebrate our performing governor.