18th August 2024, NewsOrient, Opinion, Column, News, Governance And Development By Emeka Nwosu, PhD.

A few days ago, the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, carried out a reshuffle of his cabinet which saw some Commissioners moved to new Ministries. There was also an injection of fresh persons into the team; all aimed at strengthening and re-energizing the structures of governance in the State.

A new Commissioner was also named for the newly established Ministry of Labour and Productivity. This is in fulfillment of the pledge by the Governor to the Labour Movement in the State during the last nationwide strike by the Organized Labour in Nigeria.

The Governor had promised the Labour leaders in the State at a parley with them that as a demonstration of his goodwill and commitment to the welfare of the workforce in the State, he was going to create the Ministry and nominate one of their own to occupy the position. This is a welcomed development which portrays the Governor as a man whose word is his bond. There is no doubt whatsoever that this singular gesture would go a long way in fostering and promoting industrial harmony in the State.

It is also important to note that some Ministries were unbundled to ensure effective and efficient service delivery to the public. From the Ministry of Education, we now have two portfolios, namely: Basic and Secondary Education; and Tertiary Education. There is also the new Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy. The other ones are Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection; and Industry and SMEs.

The Governor further ensured that brilliant sons and daughters of Abia who have excelled in their chosen fields of endeavor were carefully head-hunted and selected to fill the new portfolios. Serving Commissioners who had given a good account of themselves were retained in their Ministries where they have continued to make profound contributions to the building of a New Abia being propelled by Dr. Alex Otti.

On the occasion of the swearing-in of the Commissioners, the Governor noted that the new men and women on board his administration were among the brightest of the Abia stock anywhere and the entire State looks up to them in the mission to rebuild and reposition Abia for greater heights.

His words: “We have carefully selected these highly accomplished individuals to bring new ideas and energy to our team. The new appointments are made in pursuance of our agenda of creating a robust governance architecture that supports excellent service delivery”.

Governor Otti as a visionary leader clearly understands the essence of using the very best human materials available in the pursuit of a set goal. With the level of achievements recorded so far in Abia under his leadership, he has shown that a leader excels when he is surrounded by quality people who can make the desired difference.

Like he noted on the occasion: “Great leaders are not essentially those who know it all; rather they are mostly individuals who are sufficiently honest to admit the limits of their strength, and are not afraid to surround themselves with smart and dedicated lieutenants who understand the art and science of execution, and the dynamics of balancing expectations – making the most of available resources to drive superior outcomes in areas of greater need”.

It is leaders who have psychological complex and are intellectually-challenged that normally surround themselves with servile men and sycophants who bring no tangible values to the table. Such leaders who usually revel in vacuous arrogance lack the humility to learn from their subordinates. They fail to realize the point that leadership is all about shared vision and the capacity to inspire people to achieve a set objective. At the end of the day, no matter who works with the leader on any given project, it is the leader that ultimately takes credit.

The rejigging of the Abia cabinet by Governor Otti as he commenced the second year of his tenure, is an idea that had long been expected by the public, given the vacancies that were created by the series of resignations that occurred in the government. With the State Exco now fully recalibrated and recharged, the tempo and momentum of economic and infrastructural development are expected to be revved up.

Speaking at the swearing-in programme, the Governor disclosed the intention of his government to ensure that development is taken to all the geo-political zones of the State without exception. It is against this background that the Governor`s decision to set up the Greater Ohafia Development Authority (GODA), similar to the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) and Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA) is highly appreciated. The GODA, when it comes on board, is expected to spearhead the economic and infrastructural transformation of Ohafia and other adjoining towns in the Abia North Senatorial district like Arochukwu and Abiriba.

In the words of the Governor: “We are now looking farther to also bring the Northern region of the State into this surge of expansion by setting up a robust administrative structure to extend the frontiers of development to the region. To this end, we are working on setting up the “Greater Ohafia Development Authority” GODA which like GADA and UCDA will oversee the development of that area”.

Governor Otti has shown capacity and clarity of vision in the way and manner he has handled the affairs of the State. With the proposed GODA, the Governor has demonstrated equity, balance and evenhandedness in the management of the resources of the State. No particular Senatorial district is being left out in the scheme of things. This is how it should be.

With the cabinet now rejigged, Abians are quite hopeful that the ongoing infrastructural transformation of the State will receive a new boost and momentum in the days and months ahead. A new Abia, indeed, is possible!

Dr. Nwosu, a Public Policy Analyst, writes from Umuahia.
Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com

~ NewsOrient