By Ben Udechukwu
Before now, the narrative fit for Abia, in the minds of travellers, social media tigers and those who have no problem distorting history was that IKPEAZU did not do anything these past six years. While the brazen distortion of facts lasted, the unsuspecting members of the public were made victims of the dangers of a single story. Please come with me!
If you had lived in Abia, particularly Aba before 2015, you will agree with me that, for want of proper choice of words, we were sitting on a dangerous precipice in terms of development. This is not because previous administrations did not DO ANYTHING, it was more because, critical areas of Abia infrastructure did not receive that desired exclusive attention. Ikpeazu inherited a burden that made governance look like rocket science. His desire to give attention, no matter how insignificant, to diverse areas of need; made it look like “DOING NOTHING”.
Perhaps, because he deliberately refused to play to the gallery, because he demonstrated zero tolerance for eye service, because he wanted to build a house without beautiful perimeter fence, instead of building a fence without a house, many had this wrong notion that he was DOING NOTHING.
Gov. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu refused to acknowledge false accolades, remained focused on his resolve to do the appropriate things, do little things that matter and was minded by the time honoured principle that history will vindicate the just while God will punish the wicked.
If this was not his intention, he would not have delivered over One Hundred and Thirty (130) Roads, roads that boosted trade and commerce, he would not have reconstructed roads that made exit and entry into Abia seamless, he would not have inspired remediation works on dangerous erosion sites, he would not have gone into hardly known streets to effect repairs, he would not have attempted a fair and equitable use of meagre resources.
Projects shown on REBUILDER 365 are in motion pictures. The idea is to register in our memories the indelible picture, that, though some people said unprintable things about Abia and the state of governance, there exist incontrovertible evidence that salient impacts were being made. Those who looked the other way, perhaps refused, neglected or ignored to appreciate the fact that as at May 29, 2015, nearly all the 340kms of visible roads in Abia were in different stages of dilapidation, were not being fair to the Governor and his giant strides. Anybody who says anything in the contrary is merely being clever by half.
For avoidance of doubt, any Governor that gave Ngwa Road and adjoining streets the type of facelift Ikpeazu gave them will live forever in the hearts of citizens. He didn’t need to do 50km stretch of roads to show seriousness. You know why? Osisioma area that was a killer pain in the neck of this administration measured less than 2km, Osusu that lowered the dignity of residents is less than 4km. Ukaegbu that was the signpost of environmental disaster is less than 4km. It is not about the length or width, it is about the usefulness and pain quotient of the affected areas.
Who would have believed that Ikpeazu had painstakingly rebuilt no fewer than 365 areas of critical infrastructure? Those who denigrate us are either not properly informed or they are out to achieve mischief.
Everyday, we enjoin you to visit https://fb.watch/bR9dnucJLZ/. You must find cogent reason to recommend Ikpeazu for a beautiful handshake and not a handcuff
Udechukwu writes from Aba
19.03.22