11th August 2024, NewsOrient, Opinion, Column, News, Governance And Development By Emeka Nwosu, PhD.

For twenty four years that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called the shots in Abia State as a ruling party, the State Capital, Umuahia, was relegated to the background and left largely undeveloped. Nothing basically was done to improve on the few infrastructure that were put in place by the successive military administrations that governed the State from inception in 1991. The town, these past years, has continued to wear a provincial look with nothing tangible to show for its status as the seat of Abia State Government. Anyone that was conversant with Umuahia before it became a State Capital would realize that the city has remained largely the same; and nothing much has really changed from the time it was pronounced a State Capital by the military administration of President Ibrahim Babangida until recently.

Under the watch of Governor Alex Otti, Umuahia, in the last one year has begun a remarkable transformation that would properly reposition it as a modern State Capital. One of the major steps that Dr. Otti took in this direction upon assumption of office was the revamping and expansion of the main approach road to Umuahia into six lanes and fitted with streetlights. The road which runs from the Abia Tower on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway through Isingwu and Ossah communities to the city centre at Okpara Square has been completed and renamed General Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard, in memory of Nigeria`s pioneer Military Head of State who hailed from Umuahia.

The expansion works which were so efficiently done by Craneburg Construction Company is a beautiful spectacle to behold. It is now a pleasurable experience driving from the Abia Tower into the town. What remains to be done is the planting of befitting ornamental trees and flowers on both sides of the road. The Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA) should see to it that this is done without delay.

It is interesting to note that the second phase of the road which is to run from the Abia Tower and terminating at Abia-Imo boundary in Onuimo is to commence soon.

At a recent visit to Umuahia, I interacted with some Umuahia indigenes from Umuopara who disclosed that all the various structures along the stretch of road that may be affected by the expansion works have been identified and properly marked. The said property have similarly been evaluated, with compensation of the owners set to commence. I was informed that once the Government is done with the compensations, work would commence in earnest. This is gladdening to say the least.

The extension of the expansion from Abia Tower to Onuimo at the boundary with Imo State is a wonderful gesture which has greatly endeared the Otti administration to the good people of Umuahia in particular and Abia in general. When the project is completed, it will not only open up Umuahia for greater social development, it will also impact positively on the economy of the various communities along that extensive corridor which includes Ekenobizi, Umuajameze, Umuabali, Amachara and Amankwo.

With what has been achieved so far, Umuahia now wears a better look than what it was during the years of the locust. It took the vision, determination and Spartan courage of an imaginative leader like Dr. Otti to set Umuahia on the path of true transformation.

As at press time, work is proceeding rapidly on the Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Ohafia road, which is another major artery into the Abia State Capital. The Governor has also followed up with the decongestion of the ever busy Isi Gate at the heart of the city where street urchins, touts, hooligans, thugs and sundry criminal elements used to hold sway.

Traffic now flows freely in this once chaotic spot that used to be a perennial gridlock making lives miserable for people passing through the area.

This a major achievement because sanitizing Isi Gate has defied previous administrations, both civilian and military. It must have taken dozes of courage, tact, wisdom and moral suasion on the part of Governor Otti and his team to bring sanity to this notorious spot in Umuahia. What finally remains to be done to free the place from perennial chaos is the relocation of the traders who still conduct their businesses on railway tracks within the vicinity to designated markets on the outskirts of the town.

Similarly, all the illegal motor parks within the city centre should be closed town and moved to a central terminal. It is interesting to note that the Government is proposing to build a modern and integrated transport terminal in Umuahia just as it is doing in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the State. Such a move would definitely help to boost the economic fortunes of Umuahia and its environs.

Within the one year that Dr. Otti has been on the leadership saddle of the State, he has demonstrated vision and imaginativeness. He has shown that leadership is not about primitive capital accumulation and avarice but about making genuine efforts to solve problems. Little things like filling of potholes and regular payment of workers` salaries matter. Dr. Otti has done this and even more. All the bad roads and potholes within Umuahia city have been fixed, making driving within the State capital less strenuous.

It is widely believed that as the Otti administration has enterd its second year, more development projects are expected to come up in Umuahia to give it the image befitting its status as a State Capital.

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

~ NewsOrient