Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka is the Director General of the Abia State Strategic Communications Bureau. In this interview with EMMANUEL IFEANYI, he x-rays the administration of Governor Alex Otti and explains its major projects and policies that have brought changes to the state. He also speaks on expectations of the people of the state and the 2027 governorship election
Looking at Governor Otti’s administration, which is now in its third year; can you say it is so far, so good?
Yes, I can say that. And I can also say that a lot can still be achieved, but we’re definitely on the way. Things have taken a better shape in the state in every facet. Everybody who knows our history here knows where we had challenges and where we have challenges. Areas like payment of salaries and pensions.
A lot of work was done by the immediate past administration, but there is still a whole lot to be done. But since the last two years, the present administration has worked very hard. One critical thing about the present administration when it comes to infrastructure is that it is holistic.
I do not think that there is any local government in Abia State where work is not going on. It’s either roads or one infrastructural project or the other. There’s no concentration in one area. Work is ongoing simultaneously in all the local government areas. The impact of these projects is being felt by the people. When you check the quality of works done on most of the roads, especially here in Aba where I live, you’ll agree with me that no single road done by this administration has collapsed.
There is an improvement in quality and supervision. I’ve equally noticed that the engineers in the Ministry of Works are much more involved in project execution, supervision and implementation than we ever had it. And this is due to the quality of the man the governor appointed as the commissioner for works in Abia State, Engr Don Oti.
He was a career civil servant. He joined the Federal Ministry of Works as a young graduate and rose through the ranks until he became a director and managed other projects before he went to the agency called the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), where he retired as a director. He understands road construction and has the details at the tip of his fingers because it is what he has done in the past 35 years of his life.
And having worked and served as an in-house engineer in the Federal Ministry of Works, he understands the critical roles the engineers in our state Ministry of Works ought to play, and he’s giving them that opportunity. That’s why so many internal roads in Aba today have been fixed through direct labour under the direct supervision of the engineers in our Ministry of Works.
Between now and 2027, when Governor Otti will be completing his first term, most of his projects must have crystallised and taken shape, so it’ll be unfair for anybody not to allow him to do a second term
So, things have changed and will continue to change. Let me say this: when one says that things have changed, it’s not an indictment of the previous government but evidence of progress.
Where one administration stops, the other continues. The only way a state or a nation can make progress is when succeeding governments outperform the government they took over from. If at the end of eight years, Governor Otti leaves office as governor; our expectation is that the new administration will do better.
If a new administration comes in and the people begin to miss the previous administration, then there’s a problem somewhere and a complete lack of progress.
So, things are better now, and people are feeling the government more. When you speak to people on the streets, there’s this new wave of joy saturating everywhere. So, Abia people need to join hands to embrace this government as I have done. We need to support this administration to help reposition our state.
If you were asked to rate Abia in the league of states in Nigeria, where would it be?
To be honest, I may not just place Abia at a specific position, but what I can say is that it is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that we have improved in our rating.
Wherever we were before May 29, 2023, is no longer where we are today. You can see the ratings online. I’m not talking about mere self-evaluation, but an independent evaluation by institutions like BudgIT has shown that our position has improved. We were listed as number one in primary health care implementation just a few weeks ago.
That’s not all; I’m sure you’re aware that in many recent ratings, Abia is up above many states. In the transport sector, you’ve seen that Abia is number one in intra-state fee affordability. And following the launching of the electric vehicles, of which Abia is the first to do so in Nigeria, you can see that we are no longer where we were. There is a clear indication of that, and it’s obvious.
What are the things you think are driving the changes in Abia today?
For me, number one is the personality of Governor Otti, and of course, the quality of his appointees. Remember his career trajectory. The governor came from a background where merit is the driving force. If you go to a bank to look for a job today, they’ll not give you the job because you know the Executive Director.
They’ll give you the job because they’re convinced you can do it. We have a governor who is very keen on a merit-driven recruitment process in headhunting his appointees. His government is made up of 90 per cent technocrats.
A majority of people working for him are not politicians, and some of them wouldn’t even want to have anything to do with politics. After service; they’ll just go. In the short time I’ve been with this government, I’ve met people from different parts of Nigeria. You’re aware that even the Head of Service is from Edo State.
The governor is not interested in where you come from. He’s interested in what you can do, and that was my case. Everybody knows that I have a peculiar history in Abia State, having served in the capacity that I did in the past administration. It’s not everybody that’ll welcome me and give me the opportunity to serve in a brand new agency.
It’s a testament to the governor’s desire to run an inclusive government and bring in people with the requisite skills. So, the personality of Governor Otti and his philosophy are the catalysts to the good governance Abia is enjoying. Another thing is the quality of the manpower he has around him.
Do you know that currently we have a commissioner in Abia State, who was working at General Electric in the Netherlands as a senior executive? The governor brought him down here, and he’s working here. One of the senior aides of the governor was working well in a good place in the United States but he brought him down here to serve Abians as senior aide on energy and power.
These are the type of people you find in this administration. When you don’t politicise everything and bring in professionals to handle serious positions; when you don’t see political offices as reward instruments to reward politicians who did one thing or the other, there is bound to be progress. That’s where Otti is different. He sees you, you know the job, and he has interest; he’ll give you the job. These are the reasons why things are getting better. There is a paradigm shift in human resources recruitment and manpower development.
So, the personality of the governor, the recruitment process and the management of resources are key to the changes you’re seeing. The governor is a finance person. He’s a man that understands money management, resource allocation and targeted expenditure. So, these are the things that are helping to drive the changes we are seeing today in Abia.
What are some of the major projects under this government that you think have or will improve the living standard of the people?
There are many, but if I may go to infrastructure, I must say that one critical project that is ongoing and which I believe will completely change Abia is the airport project. The state government in conjunction with the Federal Government is doing the project, and I must confess that massive work is ongoing there.
The Federal Government only wanted to build an airstrip, but the governor moved for a collaboration to build a full airport instead of an ordinary airstrip. The runway is almost getting completed.
The airport project, from my projection, will change the economic landscape of Abia State. A lot of road projects that the governor has done or is doing are very important. The Port Harcourt road, in terms of road infrastructure, is one, and I don’t need to tell anybody in Abia State about the impact of that road. However, for those who are not around, that road which is completed and commissioned is now a connection hub of Aba’s economy.
Another thing that the governor is doing that will change a lot here is his resolve to reactivate moribund industries. Just a few weeks ago, the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) was here to officially hand over the Star Paper Mill to the Abia State government, and the idea is to reactivate it and get it back to function, so that jobs can be created.
The government of Abia State has paid for Star Paper Mill in full. So, anybody who remembers Star Paper Mill and what it represents will understand that the prospect of Star Paper Mill coming back to life is one that calls for serious excitement. Of course, the government will not stop at just recovering only the Star Paper Mill. There’s one called Afro Beverages, where the government has already made a financial commitment, and of which we know the government will complete everything to recover it.
Take it to the bank that this government is not stopping at just those two. It is also looking at companies like International Equitable, Kan Biscuits and so many other moribund companies. So, upgrading of infrastructure, power sector reform and revitalisation of moribund industries are key projects I believe will improve our people.
Don’t forget that hospitality is an industry as well, and one thing this government has done is to create an enabling environment for private investors to come in and invest in the hospitality industry here. Beautiful hotels are springing up both in Aba and Umuahia, courtesy of our businessmen here.
So, the hospitality industry on the private side is receiving a look. However, the government is matching whatever’s happening in the private sector with what you’re seeing at the Enyimba Hotel in Aba and the Abia Hotel in Umuahia. The Enyimba Hotel will be a different case, as it’ll not only come back to life, but it’s coming back with an international convention centre, which is a complete metamorphosis of that place into a fivestar hotel.
A lot is also happening in the entertainment industry, and everyone can see it. A lot is happening, but I assure you that between now and 2027, when Governor Otti will be completing his first term, most of his projects must have crystallised and taken shape, and it’ll be unfair for anybody not to allow him to do a second term.
What makes you think that those moribund industries would be resuscitated?
In Aba today, we don’t just have power; we have reasonable and useful power. One of the reasons why most of these companies went moribund could be attributed to lack of power. It’s hard to run a company 100 per cent with diesel. So, because we have power now, it’s easier for these companies to survive.
Another thing I want to point out is that we lay much emphasis on projects without thinking of policies. What do I mean? I’m saying that outside projects, this government has some policies like the power sector reform that will end up adding more to the economy than even most physical projects can do.
In the Aba Ring Fence Area today, Geometric Power is in charge of everything power. It ought to generate around 188megawatts at full capacity. However, at full use, Aba cannot take beyond 100megawatts. That’s why there was a plan to take the excess power that’ll be generated by geometric into the national grid. However, something interesting is happening in Abia that people need to understand.
The Otti administration wants to extend the Geometric experience in Aba to all parts of Abia State, which means that from Umuahia to Arochukwu and Isuikwuato, the government has bought the assets of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). Now, we have the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency.
The House of Assembly has passed the Electricity Regulatory Bill, which the governor has signed. This means that the state government will have near total control of electricity within the nooks and crannies of the state. When this entire process is completed, instead of wheeling excess power to the national grid, it will now be wheeled into the Umuahia area to power that entire area with constant power.
Just a few weeks ago, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) came to Umuahia for the groundbreaking ceremony for a 15MVA injection substation at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia. The project is aimed to solve the energy challenges facing Umuahia.
The initiative combines efforts from both the Federal Government and the Abia State government. It’s a 7.5MVA, 33/11 kV substation by the NDPHC under the NIPP initiative and another 7.5MVA injection substation by the Abia State government. The same capacity NDPHC is putting on the ground is what the government is matching them with to help improve power there in Umuahia.
Assuming Otti wins a second term; where do you see Abia among the other 35 states?
First, I will say that by then, Abia will be comfortably ahead of all states in the South-East, and secondly, will be among the first five in the country. What I’m saying is that when Otti completes his second term, no matter the criteria one is using to rate states in Nigeria, nobody will count five states in Nigeria without mentioning Abia by 2031.
When I say ‘’in all ratings,’ it includes environmental management, which I believe we are getting right. Everyone knows that there’s improvement in waste management, security and a whole lot of areas. But I’m telling you that these things will become crystallised by the time the governor is leaving office in 2031; the outlook would have changed completely.
One big impact he will make before leaving is changing the psyche of an average Abian. Otti will not be governor forever, but the greatest thing he will do for Abia is that it will be difficult for the state not to move forward henceforth with the kind of platforms he’s creating and foundations he’s laying.
Again, given the kind of self-awareness the people have now about governors, it’ll be difficult not to move forward. People will only be interested in who is leading them and the pedigree of that leader. So, I think Abia has entered an irreversible success lane that nobody can change.
