According to one of American writers, speaker and pastor who has written many books focusing on leadership John Calvin Maxwell, A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
While another American entrepreneur and motivational speakers Jim Rohn, opined that the challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.
The above quotes by these great authors must have come to the mind of Sir Okechukwu Ndukwe, the General Manager of Abia state Estate Development Agency formerly known as Project Implementation Unit (PIU) when the development driven Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ph.D appointed him to man steer the ship of this organization knowing full well the task ahead of him.
Knowing the challenges facing the organization, the Ibeku born Agric expert turned politician swung into action to redeem the image of the agency which had became sore to many because of ceaseless protest by the staff as a result of backlogs of salaries among other issues.
ABSEDA Permanent Office Complex
Sir Ndukwe whose aim is to leave an indelible mark wherever he finds himself eschewed excuses and took a bold step to restoring the Agency’s reputable image before her public through a cohesive and comprehensive image laundering.
As a prudent manager of scarce resources his first step was to pay 18 months backlogs of unpaid staff salaries. Built and completed a 16 room befitting office complex for ABSEDA which breaking the 27 years jinx of working from a rented apartment.
Another achievements of Okechukwu Ndukwe led administration include, shoring up the Agency’s revenue profile to maintain steady payment of staff salaries and prudent management of the Agency’s resources to make the Agency most viable government establishment in the state.
Prioritization of staff welfare packages and recovering of all lost and illegally acquired plots belonging to the Agency.
Exploration of alternative dispute resolutions to reduce litigation cases militating against the reputable image of the Agency aimed at restoring and providing affordable land for housing opportunities to the teaming indigenes of the state.
Successfully conducted and released the 2015/2016 and 2017/2018 staff promotion
Training and retraining of staff to equip and keep them abreast with the tenets of public service rules, and its enabling regulations to enable them competes favorably with their contemporaries in the service.
Setting up security system architecture with the approval of the state Governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to collaborate with other security Agencies especially, the Nigerian police, Abia State command to provide security for the Agency’s esteemed beneficiaries in all ABSEDA’s habitable estates.
Institution of beneficiaries’ welfare associations in all Agency’s habitable estates in the State, to ensure consistent interface with the beneficiaries (allottees) and the Agency.
To restore peoples’ confidence in the agency, the general manager has replaced over 400 plots of land to allottees (beneficiaries) of ABSEDA’S Estates that has allocation papers without corresponding land in various locations in the time past. E.g of such places are Amuzukwu Housing Estate, along the Amuzukwu-Mbom road in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Ohiya-Amudara opposite the Mechanic village in Umuahia South L.G.A, Umuchime Ossah besides Bishop Nwedo Memorial Secondary Schools to mention a few.
The Agency under the watch of Okechukwu Ndukwe has embark on consistent media campaign to educate beneficiaries in all habitable estates in the state in order to checkmate the slow pace of housing development as enunciated in article 9 of ABSEDA law N0.4, 2011.
The agency has also opened up new estate for housing development. They include the following:
Amuzukwu-Mbom Housing Estate in Umuahia North L.G.A (Completed)
Umuderevo Housing Estate behind Federal Girl Government College Old Umuahia, Umuahia North L.G.A (Ongoing 90% completed)
Obehie Aba Housing Estate along Aba/Portharcourt Express way, Ukwa-West L.G.A (Completed)
Ohachinyere, Umuchime Ossah, Umuahia North L.G.A, Abia State (Completed)
Okwei Ibeku Housing Estate (70% completed)
Umuawuru Ubakala/Ohiya Housing Estate, Umuahia South L.G.A (Completed)
Umuzuala Nsukwe Ubakala Housing Estate, Umuahia South L.G.A (Ongoing)
Umunnato/Umuonuha Umuogo Ubakala Housing Estate, Umuahia a south L.G.A (Ongoing)
Isingwu-Ohuhu Housing Estate, Umuahia North L.G.A (ongoing)
AmaobaIkputu Housing Estate, Ikwuano L.G.A. (ongoing).
It is also imperative to note that the Okechukwu Ndukwe led, Abia State Estate Development Agency, in keeping to the policy establishing the agency which is to make land affordable to low income earners has provided sufficient allocation to some agencies of government including Abia Newspapers and Publishing Corporation Staff Welfare Association with others hoping to get theirs soonest.
As you continue to pilot the affairs this great agency note this word of Maya Angelou “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
