YES WE CAN ..."IKPEAZU'S AMBIANCE IN GOVERNANCE -UBANI

Our Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is a full time Christian and
studious follower of the Bible. It is no shocker that he declared
that “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s
husbandry and ye are God’s building”, (1 Cor. 3:9). Our divinely
ordained Governor made this declaration shortly after Abia
People’s victory at the Supreme Court. Abia is God’s own state
(building). Re-echoing the words of Jesus (Matthew 9:37), he told
his detractors to come and join him for the harvest (medium
term targets and sustainable development goals for Abia) is
plenty but the labourers (factors of production) are few.

But, can the governor avoid the Shakespearian “slings and arrows
of an outrageous fortune”? Can he, in all chastity, avoid the “sea
of troubles” from terribly misguided detractors who want to “cut
their pound of flesh”? Yes, he can by God (Mathew 19: 26).
Governor Ikpeazu practices what he preaches, little wonder that
he attended the Burial of the late mother to the Abia state APC
Chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, prevented a chaotic scene
from occurring during the “thanksgiving” of APGA’s Gubernatorial
Candidate, Dr. Alex Otti at Aba and refrained his party faithful
members from carrying out any violent attack on opposition
parties during the last Abia North re-run election.

His declaration of “together we can (ensemble nous pouvons)" is
both a paradoxical plea and a clarion call.
Beyond saying together we can, Governor Ikpeazu was asking not
be motivated to dissipate his energy in an unwarranted manner.
He was speaking both to himself, his loyalists, his co-workers in
the vineyard of governance, apple-polishers and to his traducers.
To himself, he was reviving his oath of allegiance to the good
people of Abia. Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, our divinely ordained
Governor and accomplished scholar, understanding the pivotal
role good roads play in encouraging Small, Micro and Medium
Scale Enterprises as well as Public Private Partnership began an
aggressive construction of over 80 roads simultaneously in just
10 months (some are still work-in-progress).

Governor Ikpeazu’s Midas touch was also been demonstrated by
ensuring that Abia State University Management Board gets brand
new cars which included the Provost College of Medicine, ABSU,
Prof. Christian Aluka and Dean College of Medicine Prof. Feyi
Waboso receiving brand new cars for their staff and themselves.
There was darkness in the school at Aba due to poor general
power supply in Nigeria, our Governor spoke ‘’the word” and there
was a generator provided promptly. He is about carrying out his
large scale programme of renovating all dilapidated primary
school buildings in the state, with the funds accessed from the
Universal basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Governor Ikpeazu recently received a team of medical experts
from the US presenting a proposal to transform Ogbuaku Medical
Centre to a World-Class center. He has also begun the total
ongoing reconstruction of Enyimba International Stadium. The
Stadium is to include a state-of-the-art Gym and SPA center so
that Abians will remain physically fit and healthy at all times. An
MOU was signed in Lagos between the MTN Foundation and the
Abia State Government for the construction and equipping of four
brand new maternal care wards in four different hospitals across
the state. Our Governor, Dr. Ikpeazu visited a few local health
centers and did some charity work (it was unto the Lord, amount
will not be disclosed).

The Governor after hearing complains from his good people of
Abia at Mgbarakuma/Achingali road through the social media
team tour under the office of the SSA to the Governor on new
Media, quickly summoned the NDDC in Abia State. After detailed
enumerations that unarguably suggested the failure of NDDC in
the state, our dear Governor Ikpeazu, however, took further steps
canvassing for a strategic review in the policy formulation and
operations of the NDDC towards impacting positively on the
states and lives of the people in the region. This further led to a
courtesy visit in Abia by the Senate Committee on Niger Delta
Affairs.

In an effort to ensure an efficient judiciary, Governor Ikpeazu
swore-in four judges in Abia state, charged them to carry out their
duties effectively and empowered them with new official vehicles
as well as beautifully constructed homes. He further showed his
high regard for the rule of law and order by taking effective
measures to nip from the bud the menace of kidnapping that was
rearing its ugly head in the sprawling city of Aba and the
environs. Governor Ikpeazu also got the Nigerian Police Force,
Abia Command brand new vehicles to encourage them in their
discharge of duties in securing lives and property of Abians.


An independent verifying body from the Report Afrique team (aka,
# Wakaandsee) did a social tour in the areas in Aba where the
Governor has done tremendous work. The result was as
expected, the good people of Abia were testifying and praising
God for sending Governor Ikpeazu. An elderly Ngwa woman spoke
in her native dialect saying “some leaders like our Governor are
called by God while others send themselves”. This drive to
transform Abia quickly found expression in the flag off of the
Nkpa road in Bende Local Council, Umuda road in Umuneochi and
the Nkporo road, two weeks after he was supremely affirmed by
the highest court of the Land.

The #WakaAndSee Team

To transform Aba to become like Dubai (that’s the plan, I just
leaked a secret) is a job not done in a day. In fact, the Governor
and his cabinet will spend every day of the next 7 years in
making sure Aba and Abia as a whole wears an international face
so as to become a place to be proud of. Governor Okezie Victor
Ikpeazu’s drive is to link Abia by sea through development of the
Obuaka City Port in Ukwa East. This will give a great boost to
Aba as the commercial hub of eastern Nigeria. He has also given
tourism a boost with the dredging of the famous Aba River and
showing critical interest in the long-abandoned Enyimba Hotel.

Our Governor Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, who is the chief brand
ambassador of Abia seeks continually more ways of carving a
niche in the international Market for the “Made in Aba” goods.
This is has led to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki saying
that ‘we will cut the red tapes… so that ‘‘made in Aba’’ goods
does not get a red card in the African economy’. Abia is blessed
with a strategic geographical location and direct access to seven
other states.


In a swift response to the cult violence in the Abia State
University, Uturu, where two students were beheaded. Abia State
Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has ordered all proprietors of
commercial hostels around all the campuses in the state to
conduct a profiling exercise of all inmates in their hostels.
Proprietors of these hostels must take responsibility for the
activities that take place in their facilities and this will require that
they take interest in the identity, background and profile of the
students living in their hostels.


Significantly, we could see the new impetus for work in the effort
of Governor to revive and activate the moribund Golden Guinea
Breweries in Umuahia and the International Glass industry in Aba.
After an inspection tour of the Brewery this month, the Governor
disclosed that he has been reassured by the managers that the
brewery will commence operation by May this year. Mr. Ezinwa
Nwokocha, an economist with the Abia State Planning
Commission estimates that over 2,500 people can be employed
directly & indirectly when the brewery is fully functional.


The Abia State government under the able leadership of Dr.
Okezie Ikpeazu has signed a tripartite agreement to host the CBN
entrepreneurship development (CBN/EDC) programme that would
ensure 200 participants (in each state) for the entire South-East
states namely; Imo State, Anambra State, Ebonyi State and Enugu
State. Our Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu not resting on his
laurels is also sourcing for more funding to the tune of $1billion
dollars from the CBN so as implement an agricultural revolution.
This loan will be disbursed purely to genuine farmers and not
political patronage. It is connected to the state integrated
infrastructural development project aimed at bringing donor
agencies (such as UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP) and
development partners to assist in the development of the state.
The Governor has also attracted the attention of the international
community. Recently, Indonesian & Korean ambassador paid
courtesy visits to the Abia state Government, in which, Governor
Ikpeazu reiterated his commitment to the development of Abia
and mentioned areas their investment in Abia would make
significant impact. Areas mentioned include automating Shoe
Making business, ICT and Infrastructural development. He
explained the gains of such collaboration and solicited the
support of the federal Government to develop Abia economy.
Locally, he received the Aba Chamber of commerce on a
courtesy visit, in which he assured them of top security in Aba
amongst other key areas.


Governor Ikpeazu is a man with a good heart and has reiterated
his commitment to serve Abia with the love of God and
excellence. This has made him receive lots of courtesy visits,
most recent among them are The Primate of All Nigerian
Communion, Governing Council Trinity College, Umuahia, The
Church of England, NYSC State Governing Board, Governing
council of Rhema University, Aba, and Ladies of the Knight of St.
Mulumba Owerri Metro (this was to Her Excellency). He held an
inter-denominational thanksgiving after his victory at the Supreme
Court.

By declaring together we can, he is beckoning on everyone
(including the opposition) to come and join hands with him in the
crusade for the sustainable development of the state. He is
soliciting for a cease fire and calling all warring factions to
sheathe their sword. By that declaration, he has ascended to
statesmanship, taking the unbridled role of a father to the Abia
Nation. He may not have fixed all the challenges or roads in Abia,
nay the ones at where you stay, but when you see or hear of the
ones he has done at a certain place, just know that your turn is
coming. As Ogbuka, a statistician at the Bureau of Statistics
would fondly say, “Rome was not built in a day”.

Newman Ubani is the SSA (GOV) New Media.