_BY JUDE NDUKWE_<\/p>\n
As Dr Okezie Ikpeazu commences his \u201cSecond Missionary Journey\u201d as
\nExecutive Governor of Abia State from May 29, 2019, people of the State
\nalready seem to know what to expect from their governor. With the
\nresoundingly successful performance in his first tenure, and the promise
\nto cover more ground, the people had no hesitation whatsoever to keep
\nfaith with him when it was time for the 2019 governorship election, and
\ndid so in an overwhelming manner to the extent that his closest
\nopponents came distant 2nd and 3rd respectively. It was indeed one
\nelection that has been adjudged the freest, fairest, most peaceful, most
\ntransparent and most credible in the history of the State. It was an
\nelection where the people did not only speak but spoke loudly about
\ntheir choice to stick with the incumbent despite a cacophony of calumny
\nand deliberate misinformation that became the hallmark of his political
\nopponents in the period leading to the election.<\/p>\n
But having seen what Dr Okezie Ikpeazu was capable of doing in his first
\ntenure despite multiple baseless and bitter litigations instituted
\nagainst him that lasted for three years, the booby traps of propaganda,
\nhalf-truths and outright falsehood launched against him by his political
\nopponents, lean resources accruable to the state and such other
\nchallenges, the people refused to be swayed by any other factor except
\nthe plethora of incontrovertible evidence of strong sociopolitical and
\neconomic policies and verifiable projects that have etched the name of
\nthe Governor indelibly in their hearts as the right man to lead them on
\nthe next phase of Abia\u2019s journey to The Promised Land. An Igbo saying
\nhas it that when the first journey is sweet, we embark on it a second
\ntime even with enthusiasm. That is exactly what Abians have done with
\nthe reelection of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu with massive numbers at the last
\nelection.<\/p>\n
There is hardly any other state government in Nigeria that can boast of
\nhaving completed over 70 road projects with 90 others at various levels
\nof completion in just four years especially with Abia\u2019s well
\ndocumented lean resources. Ikpeazu has not just built those numbers of
\nroads, he builds roads that are of strategic importance to the people
\nespecially as a state renowned for its unmatchable and age-long prowess
\nin trade and commerce.<\/p>\n
For example, the seemingly incurable Faulks Road at Aba, though still
\nundergoing top notch engineering surgery, now wears a new look and cured
\nof its incessant tempest of seasonal flooding. Before now, people of
\nAbia and those who ply that road had thought that there were some
\nsupernatural forces dwelling at Ama Ikonne and Ife-Obara that were
\nresisting all previous efforts at totally eliminating the perennial
\nflooding that militated against the solid construction of Faulks Road
\nuntil those \u201csupernatural powers\u201d were arrested by the superiority
\nthinking and engineering masterpiece deployed by the Governor. Today,
\nFaulks Road has been delivered of its \u201cprincipalities and powers\u201d;
\nit is now a beauty to behold and a joy to ply.<\/p>\n
To achieve this feat, not many know that Dr Okezie Ikpeazu had to sack
\nthe contractor that was hitherto handling the project when it became
\nobvious that the scope of the work was beyond his ability. Probably the
\nenormity of what was expected of him by the governor overwhelmed him.
\nThen SETRACO, an A-list construction company was awarded the contract
\nwhile the Governor specifically requested for a site engineer from the
\nNetherlands who are the best in underwater management to come work with
\nlocal consultants and then give a plan for the job. That plan came with
\na 6.5km underground drainage with pumps designed to pump water
\nintermittently along the way to Waterside from Ife-Obara. This also
\nculminated in the dredging of Waterside and Ife-Obara to ensure that
\nthey can take water in their full capacities without spilling to the
\nroads and cause flooding.<\/p>\n
It is important that these details are highlighted to underscore the
\nimportance Governor Okezie Ikpeazu places on scientific assessment of
\nsuch challenges, the meticulous planning that goes into tackling them
\nand the political will to do novel things that bring world class lasting
\nsolutions to local challenges.<\/p>\n
The reason why any governor would go this far in tackling any challenge
\nin a state is because such a governor does not want to do just any job,
\nshoddy and cheap, to hoodwink the people for political purposes, only
\nfor the roads to collapse shortly after. Such a governor like Dr Ikpeazu
\ntakes his time to ensure quality job is done every time because he has
\nnot the next election but the next generation in mind. And this mark of
\nquality is etched on every of his project. This is why the ongoing
\nOsisioma flyover is imbued with quality; this is why the renovated
\nEnyimba International Stadium reeks of quality; this is why the new
\nModel Schools that dot different parts of the state ooze quality, etc.<\/p>\n
Talking about the model schools in particular and the education sector
\nin general, Governor Ikpeazu has rolled out policies and projects that
\nguarantee Abians of continued top performances in both local and
\ninternational exams. For example, it is on record that Abia State is not
\nonly first in WASSCE among states of the federation, she has maintained
\nthis position for four consecutive years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and
\nstill counting. Despite efforts by far more financially endowed states
\nto overtake her in this regard, Ikpeazu has ensured that does not
\nhappen, to their continued chagrin.<\/p>\n
The latest JAMB\/UTME results show that a 16-year-old Abian is among the
\nbest two out of over a million candidates that sat for the exam across
\nthe nation.<\/p>\n
With the construction of 359 new classroom blocks, 70 of them
\nreconstructed and 4 new model schools spread across the three senatorial
\ndistricts of the state, locally manufactured furniture deployed for use
\nin them, equipped with modern libraries and laboratories, feeding of
\npupils in Primary 4 \u2013 6\u00a0 every school day making Abia the only state
\nin the entire federation where all her pupils are fed in school since
\nthe federal government feeds pupils of Primary 1 \u2013 3 nationwide, etc
\nit becomes so easy to decipher the mindset of the Governor about our
\nchildren and youths. As leaders of tomorrow, Dr Ikpeazu who himself is a
\nscholar, knows the importance of giving children of the state a
\nbefitting learning environment to bring out the best in them always,
\nprepare them for the onerous task of leadership and nation building, and
\ngive them a future that ensures they are able to compete favourably
\nanywhere in the world and be the best they can be without fear or doubt.
\nLittle wonder school enrolment rate in Abia jumped from about 115,000 in
\n2015 to over 600,000 today!<\/p>\n
During one of his recent visits to some schools in the state, Dr Ikpeazu
\ndirected the immediate construction of 13 new more Model Schools and 300
\nmore new classroom blocks across the state while vowing to continue the
\nState school feeding programme with the possibility of even extending it
\nto junior secondary class students.<\/p>\n
The teachers who have the enviable responsibility of moulding these
\nchildren are also not left out. Over three thousand primary school
\nteachers have undergone different forms of training and retraining by an
\nAustralian NGO. About 40 other teachers will soon go to Australia in
\nfurtherance of the training and it is expected that when they return
\nthey shall in turn train others. This is one of the reasons for the
\nestablishment of the Abia Teacher Training Continuing Education Centre
\nat Umuahia by the Ikpeazu-led administration.<\/p>\n
In order to further empower Abia youths and entrepreneurs, Governor
\nOkezie Ikpeazu personally got involved in the promotion of Made in Aba
\ngoods, sponsoring exhibitions for them both at home and abroad, sent 30
\nshoemakers to China to enhance their skills with those trained returning
\nto train others back home, and procured modern shoemaking machines from
\nChina to greatly enhance quality, quantity and speed of output of Aba
\nshoemakers. Today, military and paramilitary organizations procure their
\nuniforms and boots from Abia State; the same goes for several federal
\ninstitutions who now turn to Abia for their scientific, technological,
\ngarment, leather, wood and other needs.<\/p>\n
The Enyimba Economic City is what informed economic watchers and
\npolitical analysts have dubbed \u201cMother of all Projects\u201d in this
\nclime because of its gargantuan scope and expected humongous returns and
\nbenefits to the State and her people in particular and Nigeria in
\ngeneral. If there is any project that befittingly crowns Dr Ikpeazu as a
\ntrue trans-generational leader, it is the EEC. It is a project that
\nmirrors the limitless possibilities of his thought processes and his
\nfearlessness to achieve the impossible.<\/p>\n
As its name implies, Enyimba Economic City is an industrial hub spanning
\na huge land mass of about 9,800 hectares covering three local
\ngovernments of the state with strategic proximity to 9 southeast and
\nsouth south states, seated directly on a large gas reserve belt and
\nbordered by potential seaports, all of which enhance the industrial
\nviability and business opportunities of the new “Dubai of Africa”.<\/p>\n
The concept and development of EEC has been attracting rave reviews from
\nboth local and international investors for its vast potentials. Even the
\nFederal Government has bought a 20% stake in it. The cherry on the cake
\nis that the City has been designated a Free Trade Zone, a mouthwatering
\nincentive for investors worldwide. On completion, the City which shall
\nhave uninterrupted power supply is expected to offer a massive 700,000
\njobs to the youths and also enhance the already existing business
\nclusters all over Aba and beyond.<\/p>\n
The larger implications of this is that even if oil dries up in the
\nnearest future or goes out of need by the world as is being projected,
\nAbia State will still survive, thrive and prosper comfortably based on
\nthe massive revenue she will generate from the EEC. What this means is
\nthat while others do not know where their next meal would come from when
\noil goes into extinction, Ikpeazu has already secured the future of
\nAbians against such shocks. It takes a man of uncommon vision to think
\nfar ahead and make hay for his people while the sun shines. The Governor
\nalluded to this fact himself concerning the EEC and his vision when he
\ntold ThisDay newspaper “…in doing this I needed to be futuristic, I
\ndidn\u2019t need to be an election politician but I want to be politician
\nfor development.\u201d And I dare add, a politician for the next
\ngeneration.<\/p>\n
All this would not have been achieved if the governor had not taken
\nsecurity serious. Today, despite the malignant security threats
\nafflicting the nation, Abia has remained the safest State in the
\ncountry. Despite the violent deaths that marred the last election in
\ndifferent parts of the country, Abia recorded no death.<\/p>\n
To prove that Governor Ikpeazu’s works of fulfilling his promises of
\ntoday and guaranteeing the future for Abians has already started bearing
\nreal fruits, Abia was recently rated among the first three States with
\nthe highest Foreign Direct Investment only after Abuja and Lagos, and
\none of the only five states with the best ratings in the Ease of Doing
\nBusiness index. Others are Kaduna, Enugu, Lagos and Anambra. These are
\nno mean achievements by the Governor; they are not accidental feats but
\nresults of brilliant thinking, deliberate planning and uncommon
\ndoggedness to see things through to their logical conclusion, coupled
\nwith the Governor\u2019s exceptional ability to build a team of stars who
\ncompletely share his passion for a greater Abia.<\/p>\n
From the foregoing, it is very clear that Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is
\nnot only concerned about the Abia of today but also an Abia of tomorrow.
\nThis is why his policies and projects of today have a sociopolitical and
\neconomic umbilical cord tied to our tomorrow. Whatever he does serves
\nthe people today and also serves as a pedestal upon which our tomorrow
\nstands solidly. These are part of the reasons he is Abia’s
\ntrans-generational leader!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
_BY JUDE NDUKWE_ As Dr Okezie Ikpeazu commences his \u201cSecond Missionary Journey\u201d as Executive Governor of Abia State from May 29, 2019, people of the State already seem to know…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n