Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has declared that his administration has raised the bar of governance in the State, to set a new standard that future Governments must meet or exceed.
Governor Otti who stated this while speaking at the anniversary lecture to mark his Two Years in office, titled “Two Years of Transformation: Sustaining the Momentum”, emphasized the importance of visionary leadership driven by ideas.
The Governor insisted that the progress recorded by his administration has created a new benchmark for governance in the state adding that it would be near impossible for any government to come in the future and give idle excuses of non-performance.
“For me, the highlight of our achievements in the last two years is the fact that we have brought the governance back, that no one will ever be permitted to take it down.
“It is either you are prepared to work for Abia with sincerity of purpose, or you remain in your comfort zone”.
“Having banished the ghost of delays or outright denial of salaries and pensions, improved urban sanitation, and tackled the challenge of poor road networks, it will be near impossible for any government to come in the future and give idle excuses of non-performance”, the Governor stated.
He noted that the people of Abia are now more engaged, informed, and resolute in demanding good governance, emphasizing that haven raised the bar of leadership in the State, no one would take Abia people for a ride going forward.
“The implication is that nobody will ever come here and take the people for a ride without the car going forward”, the Governor said.
Governor Otti used the occasion to highlight the central role of ideas in driving transformation, describing them as “the true capital”.
He said: “Ideas are the fundamental pillars of forming the critical structures of social and economic transformation. Nothing of significance was ever achieved without first being conceived in the mind”.
Governor Otti emphasized that his administration’s commitment to transparency and performance has inspired greater public participation among Abians in addition to positive feedback and reiterated the need for citizens to take responsibility for leadership choices.
Governor Otti further revealed that he has signed 18 new legislations into law, aimed at improving governance, unlocking economic potentials, and making government institutions more responsive.
The Governor noted that his administration has in the last two years corrected “the terrible injustice of the past”, adding that the remaining two years of his tenure would focus on “institutionalising the reforms that have been initiated”.
He said that the lecture was organized to allow the government and its people to “talk to ourselves, honestly,” evaluate our journey, and seek ways to improve, and thanked the guest speaker, Dr Kalu Idika-Kalu for his incisive presentation, noting that it lent credibility to the “scope of transformation happening in Abia”.
Earlier in his Keynote lecture, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and economist, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, commended Governor Otti, for raising the governance bar in Abia and initiating bold economic reforms that are repositioning the State on the path of sustainable growth.
Oluchi Ibeji
Reacting, former Member Representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Hon. Oluchi Ibeji, described the theme of the lecture as timely and mphasized the need for Governor Otti to sustain the momentum of his administration and ensure that the current administration’s achievements become the baseline for future leaders of the State.
“Let the standards be raised higher. We don’t want anyone to just stroll into governance in Abia again”, he stated.
