The Elections’ year is almost here with us, and there is Babel of voices from various politicians over what they would do and what their opponents wouldn’t do. These are the times when the downtrodden, abandoned since 2023 after the swearing in of the present crop of political office holders will demand their pound of flesh.
These are the times when seekers of offices would come to leak orange, udara or eat akara with the beggar on the streets; eat mamaput with artisans, drink palmmy with drunkards! The season is the season where those that want to return to Abuja or those angling to become the henchmen of the White House in Afara (Abia seat of power) or the Public Assembly House in Ndume (House of Assembly) would stoop to an embarrassing and humiliating low to demand for the people’s mandate.
And the big one! The Aso Rock? Who becomes its Landlord in 2027? Promises! Promises!! And Promises!!! Are coming from all directions; it’s painful that after four years, the people, the downtrodden cannot count on any tangible thing that has been delivered by majority of those they stood in the scorching sun and under the pounding rains to cast their vote for.
Elections over, phone calls that were answered when ants called were switched off and the masses, the electorates, suddenly became enemies.
This is the time to ask questions…what have you done for us? The people should muster enough courage to demand for accountability. We’ve been traumatized, we’ve been horrified, we’ve been humiliated during these past years…where were you? Some changed parties…change of guards would not save them…scorecards are the only ticket to make it this time.
And as for Governor Alex Otti, the scorecard shines. It speaks volumes, it glows, it blazes like stars in the dark, it provides the passport, it opens a gateway, it leads to somewhere. It leads to Afara.
The irony of Afara is that the community provides two worlds. World of leadership and reign of power and world of captivity, shame and incarceration; Otti has the passport for the former. Reason? He has acquitted himself creditably and gracefully.
Afara’s confinement is not for Otti. His is for the Afara’s Seat of Power. But for those angling for the position presently occupied by Governor Alex Chioma Otti, they are unwittingly eyeing the Afara Confinement. If they have opportunity to read this, they might, with immediate effect, retrace their steps and allow a winning man to plan how to celebrate the trophy Abia citizens and residents would offer to him in 2031. But if they say no way; the other side of Afara may be beckoning…
As I look into the Word in the Holy Book, I can behold a man who had a mission to deliver a New Abia. God destroyed the Old World because of sins and atrocities of man. Then He called Noah and prepared him for the New World. Noah prepared an Ark, brought in his family of eight. The rains came and the Ark sailed on. After 40 days, the Ark birthed on a New Earth and Noah became the progenitor of the New Earth. It was all the design of the Almighty God.
Check out the analogy. Like Noah like Alex Otti. Old planet Earth was engrossed in wickedness and sins and God acted! The Old Abia was immersed in underdevelopment, looting, adulatory etc and God acted. So, who says what’s happening in Abia is not divine? Me thinks so, what about you?
He tried to rescue power from the adulterers in 2015. He told Abia electorates his vision and mission. They agreed. They gave him their mandate. It was scuttled. He was urged on. He tried it again in 2019, the same scenario played out. Like Noah, they laughed him to scorn; they did their usual abracadabra. In 2023, God said: this is the time! They still tried their tricks, but their tricks failed them this time; hence the birthing of a New Abia!
Alex Otti started by bringing into Abia a high profile ‘A’ Construction Company, Julius Berger to build one of the shame of the state, Port Harcourt Road, Aba. Detractors, cynics, enemies of progress said he was grandstanding, playing to the gallery. Days rolled into weeks, weeks into months and months into years, Julius Berger produced a masterpiece of a road called New Port Harcourt Road.
They complained about the cost but Julius Berger looked them on the face and said ‘go and sitdon for dorty’. They raced to other parts of Aba, complained about the poor infrastructures…road, electricity, water, degraded environmental etc. Otti, undeterred, thought and still thinks they’re noisemakers.
Comprehensively, he unveiled his agenda for the entire state. Within months, Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) was unveiled. Paradoxically, they were the ones that sat on the ruins for 24 years.
Thereafter, Greater Ohafia Development Authority (GODA) came to be.
With the speed of light, Otti cleared the mountainous refuse/wastes in Aba and Umuahia, scooped the drainages, opened up other roads, restored electricity and began a massive construction in the cities of Abia: Umuahia, Aba and Ohafia that have made Abia a huge construction site. The three towns serve as headquarters of the three senatorial districts.
Abia became new in spirit, soul and body. And the flooding in the Enyimba city disappeared because the current of water that whistled its way to the homes of people when the rains pounded, found a better route – the Aba River through some underground drainages.
Today, roads like Ohanku, Obuohia, Ngwa, Cemetery, Aba-Owerri, Market, Tenant, Clifford, Umuimo, Udeagbala, Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard, Express Tower-Umuopara Onuimo Highway, Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Ohafia Road, Ohafia-Ihechiowa-Itutu-Arochukwu Highway etc have either been constructed, reconstructed or retrofitted courtesy of Alex Otti’s government. The famous Omenuko Bridge that leads to Arochukwu was for first time built.
Otti demystified the aphorism that “No Road That Leads To Arochukwu Is Less Cumbersome, Short, Unfriendly”. Today, one can comfortably ‘fly’ to Arochukwu from Umuahia or any part of the state or country and return in a time frame of few hours.
…to be continued.
Uche Nwosu is an Umuahia, Abia State, based Journalist.
A Shell BP Double Award Winner On Environmental Pollution & On Investigative Journalism – Year 2000