By Christian George
Barely a week after Alex Chioma Otti’s declaration as Governor-elect of Abia State by INEC, residents have set agenda for the governor with the view to restoring the lost glory in the state.
In a report by Daily Post, Abia residents, during the weekend expressed their views on how it would help the governor-elect to reposition the state.
A resident in Umuahia, Mr Sunny Emeh said he looks forward to a progressive and pragmatic leadership “to turn our state back to its rightful position in the league of states in Nigeria and to restore her lost glory.”
Emeh envisioned “a new Abia state with a leadership team poised to turn our state into an ultra-modern industrialized state, economic superpower and investors haven and No 1 destination choice in Nigeria and Africa at large is what we yearn for.”
Bishop Emeka Nwankpa from Isiala Ngwa Local Government Area of the state urged Otti to focus on fixing infrastructural decadence, poor security architecture, dwindling state economy, and collapsed standard of education, among others.
According to Bishop Nwamkpa, “to whom much is given, much is expected. The people of Abia state expect Otti to address myriads of problems facing the state.
“It is hoped that he will rise to the challenge. If he doesn’t perform, the people of Abia state will vote him out in 2027”.
Ogechi Samuel Nwokoji from Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State called on Otti to address fundamental problems ravaging the state in the last 24 years.
He said: “Abia has been suffering economic and infrastructural deficits and the successive governments have failed woefully to look into it and come out with a lasting solution,” pleading with the governor-elect to carry the youths along by creating more employment opportunities.
“Otti has a lot of work to do in this state, which ranges from the collapse of infrastructures to the dwindling economy of the state. You can see nothing that thrives in Abia state due to lack of capacity and a well-defined developmental template to create a conducive environment for inflow of foreign and local investments,” said Mr Ikenna Chigozie, a resident of Aba metropolis, adding that Otti’s recent victory at the concluded gubernatorial election was predicated on popular votes and goodwill of the people who had longed for development-oriented government at all levels of political leadership in Abia state.
It could be recalled that INEC’s returning officer for the Abia Gubernatorial election, Professor Nnenna Otti, said Alex Chioma Otti of the Labour Party, polled a total of 175, 467 votes to beat his closest rival of the Peoples Democratic Party, Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88,529 votes to come second.
His declaration as Abia State Governor-elect saw massive jubilation on the streets across the state.
Residents believe that his leadership will take the state from where it is to where it should be which will be in favour of the Abia people.
