Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has outlined Abia North Senatorial District as strategic to the realization of his administration’s Agro-Transformation Agenda, which targets sustainable food security, job creation, and enhanced foreign revenue for the state.
Speaking at the Practising School, Uzuakoli, in Bende Local Government Area during the inauguration of the executives of the Bende LGA chapter of the Abia Arise Movement and the reception of defectors from opposition parties, Governor Otti restated the importance of grassroots involvement in his development agenda.
The event also witnessed the formal reception of the member representing Bende North State Constituency, Mr Nnamdi Ibekwe, alongside his supporters, as well as Dr Ezeala of the APC, who all declared their allegiance to the Labour Party.
Governor Otti also received the former Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2023 general election, Dr Chima Anyaso, who in a major political realignment, along with his large group of supporters, also joined the Abia Arise Movement.
The Governor emphasised that the Abia Arise Movement was more than a political platform, describing it as a non-partisan vehicle for grassroots mobilisation and leadership development.
He called on all citizens of the State to embrace the movement’s ideals and actively participate in its activities at the community level.
Governor Otti noted that his administration had created unprecedented opportunities for millions of Abians to achieve personal growth and self-actualisation through significant investments in infrastructure, social services, and other critical sectors.
The Governor added that his government had consistently demonstrated that governance was fundamentally about service and prompt response to public needs.
“Our administration has shown that governance is about service, responding to public concerns and deploying public funds to uplift the people.
“Abians are happy not because of handouts, but because they believe government now consistently makes the right decisions”, he said.
Governor Otti Otti highlighted the recently completed 67.6km Umuahia–Uzuakoli–Abiriba–Ohafia Road, now named Joe Irukwu Way, as a transformative infrastructure development expected to spur economic growth.
He said that experts have projected a significant increase in the region’s GDP over the next 12 months due to enhanced access to markets, revival of agro-assets, and general ease of movement.
“We are deliberately investing in infrastructure that closes the gap between rural and urban communities and eliminates the push factors for rural-urban migration,” Otti noted.
Governor Otti who had earlier commissioned the newly reconstructed and fully equipped Ngwu Uzuakoli Primary Health Centre disclosed that, in the past ten days alone, his administration had commissioned 23 new projects across several local government areas, comprising 18 road networks and five primary healthcare centres.
He warned against vandalism of public property, especially by scrap metal dealers and directed security agencies to clamp down on offenders and hold community leaders accountable for negligence if vandalism occurs in their domains.
In his remarks, Dr Chima Anyaso commended Governor Otti’s purposeful and people oriented leadership, which he said had rekindled hope among ordinary citizens.
Dr. Anyaso who declared his total support for the Governor’s rebuilding agenda, announced his formal resignation from the YPP and pledged allegiance to the Governor and the Abia Arise Movement.
Also, some appointees of the Governor from Bende LGA, including the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, and the Abuja Liaison Officer, Chief Chinasa Frank, lauded Governor Otti for redefining governance within two years of assuming office.
They reaffirmed the unwavering support of Bende people for the Otti led administration.
The State Coordinator of Abia Arise, Mazi Nkem Okore, and the Bende LGA Coordinator, Mr Onyedikachi Iroegbu, in their separate speeches, said the movement was born out of the desire of Abians for purposeful leadership and would continue to align with the Governor’s vision and mission.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the two branded Coaster buses by the Chima Anyaso Foundation to the Governor.
