Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State says absence of strong federal government support for some of the major problems of Abia State was a limitation on states in Nigeria.
In his 2023 New Year speech which he said will be his last New Year Broadcast to Abians as their Governor, Ikpeazu said “From my vantage position as Governor, I have seen the limitations of a Governor within the Nigerian Federal set-up and how a strong Federal Government support is required for meaningful progress to be made by States.
“I know the handicaps I faced especially in Aba because I did not get critical federal Government support for some of the major problems of Abia State because those who ought to have helped us attract Federal Government attention were engaged in an endless war of attrition with the same Federal Government that should have helped us.
“It is for this reason that I have accepted the call of my people of Abia South Senatorial Zone to go and represent them at the Senate. It is my desire to assist my successor to galvanize critical support for Aba and Abia State”.
He said after 8 years, his greatest achievement as a governor is the fostering of an atmosphere of peace and unity in Abia State which he said has enabled tremendous developments across sectors, stating, “I am happy with the reports so far that Christmas has been very peaceful in Abia State. I am proud of the legacy of peace and harmony that we have entrenched in this State.
“The peace and tranquility in Abia State is not a fluke or a by-the-way occurrence. It is the product of a deliberate State policy. Policy of justice and equity to all tendencies, Policy of accommodation and civility, Policy of mutual love and understanding, Policy of political tolerance and accommodation, and Policy of nobody’s ambition is worth the peace of Abia State”.
“Abia is easily the most peaceful State in the South East and one of the most peaceful states in the whole Federation and we are immensely proud of that unbroken record. Peace is a condition-precedent for any other form of development in a State and without peace, no other conversation will thrive.
“I thank all the stakeholders, especially our security agencies and their personnel, who have played enormous roles to keep the peace in Abia State. I thank Abians across every strata for being peaceful and law abiding.
“I am proud of the State I will be handing over to my successor. I state unequivocally that I will be handing over an Abia State far better than the one I met across diverse parameters. We will work until our last day in office to continue to maintain the peace in the state”.
He said his administration has made the most investment in critical infrastructure since the creation of Abia State, from roads to hospitals, schools to public buildings and other critical segments, including agriculture, small and medium scale enterprises and salaries to core civil servants.
He however admitted that he did not get it right in some sectors, stating “my people Abians, I owe it to you to also admit that we did not get it right in every sector” and highlighted the areas to include pension management, salaries of parastatals, extra-ministerial departments and institutions who are unable to manage their affairs even with Government subvention.
“I take responsibility for the issues surrounding our pension administration and apologize to our pensioners who are owed various backlogs. We will continue to work to resolve it until we leave office.
“I give assurance that again, we will work to ensure the evolution of a workable model to address these issues before we leave Government”.
