An Abia industrialist, Mazi Samuel Iheanyichukwu Ohuabunwa, has expressed his expectations from the in-coming administration of Dr. Alex Otti as the governor of Abia State.
Accordingly, hear him:
“I believe that God has taken a decision concerning Abia and that is the basis on which the new government is coming in place. We believe it is the will of God.
“Secondly, each leader is given a mandate to fulfill, especially if that leader is a godly leader. Therefore, my expectation is that the in-coming government will listen to the people of Abia and meet their expectation.
“The people have spoken through their massive votes that they are looking towards a new era. They want faster infrastructural development of the state, they want better social development of the state, and they want the state to have a better image in the committee of states.
“For sometimes, the image of Abia is mixed. We believe that the out-going government has some successes, especially in the area of maintaining the peace in Abia. We don’t take it for granted. Abia was one of the most peaceful states in the last couple of years. It is the grace of God and the work of government.
“So, it is expected that the in-coming government, building on that peace in Abia, would therefore mobilize all Abians to contribute and participate to building the Abia of our dream where we can compete with other states in the country.
“Our endowments are there and very clear. We are not only part of the oil producing states, but we have rich agricultural potentials and then, we have our commercial prowess, our industrial orientation.
“So, I believe that the in-coming government would focus on these issues and ensure that Abia grows economically by opening up and inviting a greater level of private/public partnership.
“Building the infrastructure I was speaking about, turning Aba into the Dubai or Taiwan we speak about, cannot happen with government budget only, from internally generated revenue or revenue from Abuja.
“We must take both Public/Private Partnership, PPP programmes, get the private sector to come with both project and give them the enablement and environment to make investment.
“So, Abia must attract investment capital because, it is investment that creates businesses and programmes. Businesses, programmes and projects create jobs, and jobs will create wealth and drive away poverty.
“So, to take Abia to become a state with low poverty rate and high purchasing power, a critical effort will be to focus on attracting investment, both local and Abians in diaspora, Abians in Lagos, Abians in Kano, those that have and then a deliberate effort should be made to attract them home to invest.
“That means that the government must first ensure that there is safety, as the most primary security. If we start having what is happening in Imo and some other states, then nothing happens.
“So, let the government not take security for granted, focus on maintaining and improving the security established by the out-going government and then invite investment from our people and foreigners to be able to build new industries, build new infrastructure and help to develop the environment.
“If the government focuses on that, and of course brings in greater level of accountability and ensuring that government resources are well utilized, we will get greater value for every naira that we spend and ensuring that they look at every local government.
“Development should not be one-sided. Let every local government, let every community feel the government in terms of developmental projects, the same thing that the government must do deliberately.
“Yes, there will be areas of greater focus like Aba for example but that should not keep the other local governments or communities not having roads, not having access to move around, not having minimum infrastructure or minimal social infrastructure.
“There should be at least one working hospital in every LGA, or in every community, one good hospital, one good maternity, not just these things we put there and nobody is manning them. They are discreet, they are not good hospitals.
“They should put a good hospital with some decent equipment and put manpower, good healthcare professionals to look after that.
“If we do the infrastructure, provide healthcare, ensure that there is educational upliftment, I think the government would have the continued support of the people.
“I think it is a popular government that is coming in and therefore it must build on that popularity by ensuring that it meets the expectation of the people along this line”.
A 73-year-old Pharmacist, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa was a former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, President of the Association of Corporate Governance Professionals of Nigeria, ACGPN and the Convener of the NEW NIGERIA GROUP, NNG.
Mazi Ohuabunwa OFR, born on 16 August 1950 is also a politician and business executive. He is a Christian and a Knight of Saint Christopher of the Anglican Church.
The business guru who is a graduate of University of Ife is a 2023 Presidential aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP is also the Founder, Sam Ohuabunwa Facilities for Economic Empowerment and the MD/CEO of StarTeam Consult.
