60 Days Of ‘Ottinomics’ In Abia

Of all the states in which gubernatorial elections were conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) early this year, Abia State witnessed the most significant jubilation by the indigenes and residents following the announcement of the winner. The celebratory ululations roared from homes and flowed into the streets. There was obviously and understandably an endorsement of the new Governor Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP), who the people saw as the harbinger of the fresh air and turnaround the people of the State have yearned for over the past four decades or so.

This was significant for a people who have often been taunted not to be lucky with good leadership since the 2nd Republic ended in the 1980s. Obviously, such a background puts enormous weight on the new helmsman not to disappoint Abians. And with a background in the financial sector, having been a Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Otti came highly recommended, along with his firm promise to deploy his wealth of experience in fiscal prudence and financial management toward improving the state’s “tattered” financial resources and general wellbeing.

He unfurled a five-point agenda to address the challenges of economic and social transformation, public service reforms, and internal security. While he was never short on promises, how has Dr. Otti fared in deliverables in the past 60 days since he assumed office as the Governor of Abia State on May 29, 2023?

As a renown commercial center, courtesy of Aba, the economic hub of the State and the Southeast geopolitical region, the economic fortunes of Abia are not unexpected to be the focus of a Governor who wants to break the despondency of the past few years. Dr. Otti.

The saddest singsong before Dr. Otti came into office was the non-payment of salaries of civil servants in the State. It was such a sore situation that Abia probably had the most frequent demonstrations and public protests by unpaid workers and pensioners in the country. So, it is no surprise that the new governor started with the personal economic fortunes of the workers hired by the government he runs.

With all eyes on him concerning this, Dr. Otti, therefore, promised that the workers would henceforth be paid their salaries on or before the 28th of every month. He has commendably walked his talk these past 60 days in office. Abia workers have experienced different month-ends last June and July, save for some hitches owing to ongoing workers’ verification processes. Even outstanding emoluments and pensions from at least April are being taken care of. This is besides Otti’s assurances to defray the 30-month salary arrears, totaling over N200 billion, he inherited from the administration of his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

The verification was important because realising that the State’s huge wage bill was suspicious, the new Governor began tackling the scourge of ghost workers. That has already begun yielding fruits as no fewer than 2,300 ghost names have been discovered and weeded out of the payroll, as disclosed by the State Accountant-General, Mrs. Njum Onyemenam. This has saved the State a whopping monthly bill of N220 million so far, and more savings are expected as she expects that the unified payment system in place now will identify more of such fraud.

Transiting from micro to macroeconomics, and still plugging the leakages, Dr. Otti’s administration has launched a software application to manage a new digital tax system. This is expected to make it easier for taxable traders, shop owners, transporters and the likes to keep up with their obligations, while boosting the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Besides, and quite importantly, this boost will be made in a more efficient, convenient and less invasive, less aggressive manner.

Essentially, this innovative system simplifies tax compliance for businesses while eliminating fraud and intermediaries in revenue collection. It will institute a regime of transparency and accountability in the collection of internally generated revenue by preventing payments through unauthorised channels.

While introducing the scheme to the public in Umuahia, the state capital, the governor explained that “by simplifying tax compliance procedures, we have removed barriers for businesses, encourage formalisation, and stimulated investment. This initiative empowers entrepreneurs, enabling them to focus on their ventures’ growth and expansion, ultimately leading to job creation and economic prosperity for our state. By eliminating fraud, and intermediaries, and introducing the digital platform to block leakages, we will unlock the true potential of our tax system to maximise revenue for development projects.”

Given its novelty to most of those targeted for this, the new tax system is planned to be the focus of a series of stakeholder/townhall engagements between the State government and the public with a view to hearing ideas as well as sensitising and educating everyone on its modalities.

Amidst these, the governor has been engaging with potential domestic and global investors that can partner with him and the State government to quicken the industrialisation and socioeconomic growth of Abia State. It has been refreshing seeing corporate giants and investors converging on Abia to meet with the Governor and his officials for meaningful talks, rather than the past spectacle of seeing Abia Governors in expensive jamboree foreign trips in the guise of looking for foreign investors that never came.

In just a few days in office, Governor Otti has played host to topmost management delegations from telecommunications giant, MTN; civil engineering specialists, Julius Berger; banking gurus, UBA; and others, while more are on the way. Better roads, easier financial services and all-important telecommunications innovations in a digital age will undoubtedly raise the economic profile of a State with enormous potential and under the leadership of “a man who knows the way”.

In addition, Dr. Otti’s plans to establish an innovation park and a modular refinery in Abia to accelerate economic growth are also seen as positive steps that will leave indelible marks in the economy of the State. It is not surprising that these strides in 60 days and lofty ideas and plans in the pipeline are coming from the mind of a successful former bank chief executive, who assured Abians in his inaugural address that this is “A Time to Rebuild”.

These attempts at rebuilding Abia State can be encapsulated as “Ottinomics”, a novel approach that the indigenes and residents of Abia State are only just beginning to enjoy, and hopefully long for more days to relish. As Dr. Otti himself would say whenever he is confronted with challenges in his governance route, “we came prepared!”. Indeed, the people of the State yearn to continue reaping the fruits of his preparedness.

– Mazi Ukaha is a Youth Leader in Abia State.

Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.