IKPEAZU IS STILL ON DUTY TILL 2023

IKPEAZU IS STILL ON DUTY TILL 2023
With the ban on electioneering campaign lifted by INEC, the coming days, weeks and months will witness aggressive politicking with each candidate marshaling out strategies on how to convince electorates that they have better plans and programmes for them. Our political space and airwaves will begin to witness undaunted pressures from all and sundry.
In Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu Ph.D. will be presenting himself once again to the people of Abia State for re-election for a second and final term as Governor of the state. Speaking to the Deputy British High Commissioner recently the Governor insisted that his re-election campaign would be premised on his records of achievement as Governor and in all the other offices he had held prior to this present position as Governor. He opined that since 2015 when he was elected, Abians have experienced the changes and massive developments, which he promised during the campaign rounds 2014/2015.
In 2015, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu Ph.D. transversed the length and breadth of Abia with his development template that was not just homegrown but one that many Abians felt was practicably implementable and one which was spiced and flavored with local understanding of the issues and challenges faced daily by the people of the state across the spectrum. The template developed essentially from Governor Ikpeazu’s understanding of the environment having spent some time working for and with the people, interacting with them and understudying the real issues was based on 5 development pillars and 5 enablers. Three years down the line, how has the Governor fared in driving home this development template and trajectory?
Governor Ikpeazu came to the office with obvious advantages. Everyone will agree that for someone to have concluded and bagged a Ph.D. under 30 was no mean feat. It also goes a long way to speak about the character and quality of the person involved. Governor Ikpeazu had the backing of the Ukwa Ngwa nation, a people who had never had the privilege of serving the state in that capacity. The massive support and mobilization from his base and the tacit support of the then Governor based on the Abia Charter of Equity a major binding agreement played major roles in his emergence. I must add too that these conditions are also present today.
Within the last 3 years Governor Ikpeazu has manifestly proven to sane minds of his capacity to lead a united Abia. For the first time since the return of Nigeria to democracy, Abia state has under the stewardship of Governor Ikpeazu enjoyed relative political peace and tranquility. Many of us are conversant with our very recent history in the State. Ikpeazu has piloted the affairs of the state with such stoic equanimity and candor that almost all the leaders and founding fathers of the state, political and business leaders are working harmoniously together for the development of the state. Within the arms of government, the executive, legislature and judiciary, Governor Ikpeazu’s obvious maturity in leadership has come to play resulting in an cooperative yet effective relationship between the various arms of government. This may yet be the first time in our history when there seem to be a very cordial relationship between Abians at the federal level especially the legislature and the state government. Even when we have a minister from another party, it has been a very cordial and cooperative relationship that has placed Abia’s interest well above personal or parochial interests. The era of usurpation, antagonism and intimidation has become a thing of the past in Abia under Ikpeazu’s watch. I’m sure the few dissidents have not taken time to understand the value of the convivial atmosphere Governor Ikpeazu has created in Abia. Just recently in a neighboring state we witnessed a near rape of democracy when the state legislature was turned to a centre of absurdity due to clash of interests and expression of inordinate ambitions. At all times the mien and humane nature of Ikpeazu has ensured that Abia remained peaceful. This has also reflected on the internal security of lives and properties of Abia and Abians. Today, Abia is ranked as one of the most secured states in Nigeria and the tops the chat in the South East. These conditions, which are important to guarantee development, do not come by mere wishful thinking.
In the second year of his administration, when naysayers took to the social media platforms to sell lies and deceit, in response, Governor Ikpeazu popularized a quote “let them facebook, while I face work”. Right from the first day of administration, Governor Ikpeazu has never let anyone doubt his commitment to aggressively rewrite the infrastructural history of the state particularly, our centres of trade, commerce and economic activities. So, the focus on Aba was not accidental. The Aba redevelopment and infrastructural improvement programme is and remain a deliberate plan of Governor Ikpeazu to increase the productive capacity of Aba and artisans within the city. So as at the last count, over 70 roads have been completed while the state government is exposed to over another 50 at various stages of completion. This is coming at a time the economic fortunes of states in Nigeria is nothing short of dim. At a time it was on record, that Abia was the only state within its financial bracket that had about 4 grade A construction giants working simultaneously. In the area of road construction both urban and rural, while the Governor had acknowledged that not all that was planned had been done, but we have moved forward as a state in terms of road infrastructure.
One area Governor Ikpeazu has distinguished himself is in how he has managed bi-partisan relationship between the state and federal government to leverage on certain opportunities to the advantages of Abia. Even, official of the federal government including no less a person like the President himself and his Vice Prof Yemi Osinbajo has come to acknowledge that Governor Ikpeazu means well for Abians and does not play politics with the development of the state. He had always placed the interest of the state well above personal or primordial sentiments and sometimes has had to subdue ego to ensure Abia gains. So it is not a surprise that Abia remains one of the focal states and in fact the leading state in the east in the implementation of several federally introduced social inclusion programmes. A quick reference is the issue of tradermoni, while the Vice President was crisscrossing the country launching the programme Abia is one state that has been allowed to begin implementation of the programme. today over 10,000 rural traders have benefited from the small scale loan. The Home Grown School feeding programme, GEEP, N Power, Conditional Cash Transfer etc. and other programmes like that have flourished in Abia seamlessly without any form of bickering between the state and federal government. When voters marshal out in 2019 to cast their votes, they remember that under Ikpeazu Abia has become a reference state in our national life and that all national programmes from education, health, agriculture, youth empowerment, women issues, trade and commerce, investment has had Abia as a priority status. Beneficiaries of these programmes coordinated by the Abia Social Invstment Office numbering over 100,000 individuals and families directly and indirectly will remember Governor Ikpeazu whose skill and leadership has ensured the success of these programmes.
Governor Ikpeazu will be running on the record of his successful promotion of Made-in-Aba products campaign. Prior to this administration, Aba remained an unsung, unnoticed and ill motivated hero. The entrepreneurship of Aba was even mocked and the artisan had no one, no leader who held their hands to lead them to prosperity amidst myraids of challenges which included – access to finance, power, infrastructure, market share, ownership, branding etc. taking the bull by the horn Governor Ikpeazu with his team began with aggressive marketing to bring global attention to the productive capacity of Aba. The records of achievements speak volumes of the success of this programme. Today, in Aba power issues is being resolved, finance institutions are providing these entrepreneur cheap funds at single digits, market share has increased, infrastructural upgrade is ongoing, automation has come and international collaboration is coming by way of capacity building. The Aba artisans and entrepreneurs will not forget the Governor who has exposed them to the world and gave them confidence to stamp their products “proudly made in Aba”. Such feats are not rhetoric rather, conscious effort of a committed leader.
In several of our human capacity indicators this administration has consistently proven that Abia can work and is indeed working. Back to back in 3 years Abia has maintained first position in WAEC and some other national examinations. In the health sector, through several initiatives aimed at deepening access and universal coverage Abia has remained on the map for good. Abia has remained a reference point for good and international donor organizations now fancy including Abia in all their rollout programmes. Just recently, the World Bank released the results of the national survey on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria. 5 states made the most improvements in the past 4 years, Abia was no 3 as one of the states that improved in the 4 thematic areas chosen by the World Bank.
In 2019, when our rural women go out to vote they will remember Deaconess Nkechi Ikpeazu, who through her NGO, the Vicar Hope Foundation has provided succor to the vulnerable in our communities. They will remember, the homes built for widows which today stands over 40 across the state, they will remember several health, social inclusion, skill training and empowerment programmes that the Wife of the Governor has introduced to improve the livelihoods of Abians especially the women in rural communities. They will remember her conscious and committed effort to touch the lives of victims of several conditions with a view to ameliorating pains and difficult situations.
It is very easy for people to ignore committed efforts of leaders for several reasons. However, no sane Abia can say that the Abia of 2018 is same Abia bequeathed to Ikpeazu in 2015. While he acknowledge that all has not been done, Governor Ikpeazu can beat his chest proudly that he can face Abia electorates to judge him on the records of his achievements.
In our next series we will deal with economy, investment, agriculture, youth development and other areas the government has proven her mettle.
To be continued…