Abia State Needs Buhari’s Help

Since its creation in 1991 from the old Imo State, Abia had waited for a truly transformative leader. For a leader and a government which would turn the potentials of the state into visible economic transformation and take it from a simply commercial entity into an industrial hub. Abia had waited. But none came.

Ironically, every administration that came, including the current Peoples Democratic Party administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, had promised to create a private sector driven economy in the state, characterized by the ease of doing business and world class security of lives and property. But none had delivered, including the current one which was re-elected in a controversial election.

Aba, the major commercial city in the state has shed only little of its rustic status. Infrastructure development has been largely absent in the state and up till now there has not been any articulate master plan of driving vision to change the narrative. Abia State is still a potential waiting to be tapped.

The last general election was an opportunity for the state to end a visionless era by electing Uchechukwu Samson Ogah as governor of the Abia State. The people’s enthusiasm for a new era was clear right from the day Oga was announced as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, for the state.

In the South East region where APC was thought to be unpopular, Ogah caused apprehension for the ruling party by the size of his campaign crowd and the sheer excitement of the crowd that welcomed him to every event. It was obvious the people yearned for change and that Ogah was the most acceptable of all the candidates.

Most residents of the state were already in anticipatory celebration of Ogah’s victory while waiting for the final results to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. But by the time it was announced, Governor Ikpeazu had a landslide and was declared winner. Ikpeazu of the PDP polled 261,127 to be Ogah of the APC who scored 99,574.

Though Ogah lost that election, many in the state still believe it was the state that lost Ogah. The APC candidate had the most memorable campaign. He ran a campaign that gave hope to the people, pushing out a clear-cut vision for economic transformation of the state. Key items on Ogah’s blueprint for Abia are industrialization, Job creation and prompt payment of worker’s salaries. He brought something to the table for everyone.

His campaign resonated with the people because he was not just a politician coming to buy peoples’ votes with grandiose vision and unrealistic promises. Ogah is a living example of the vision and ideas he espouses.

Ogah is a job and wealth creator; an industrialist who sits atop a flourishing conglomerate with diversified business interests. He has about 50,000 employees on his pay roll. His people had hoped, rightly, that if he had been elected governor, he will replicate what he has been doing as a private businessman on Abia.

He was expected to bring investments in Agro-allied industries and manufacturing and change the status of Aba into an industrial hub. There were high expectations for human capital development through opportunities for employment that would be created.

Abians are a highly resourceful people who need equally resourceful leaders. But the opportunity had been missed and the people must wait until the next four years to vote again.

But for the support given to the APC by the people of Abia in a PDP ruled state, President Muhammadu Buhari owes the state a debt of gratitude. Granted that Buhari’s stellar reputation as an incorruptible leader was a strong factor that sold the APC to a majority of the party. Leaders like Ogah also invested the weight of their personalties and reputation to make the APC a people-oriented brand in the state.

Abia is an important state in the economy of Nigeria, and if the Buhari administration envisions a truly transformed country in not too distant future, the state must be one of those that would receive special presidential attention.

The president should embrace the leadership of the APC in the state, and indeed, in other states where the leaders have demonstrated vision and capacity, and work with them. Abia is a special case because of the potentials of the state for the economic growth of the country.

Federal opportunities should be channeled through reliable and focused party leaders who would ensure that the people feel the impact of the Buhari presidency. Buhari’s first term in office suffered wrong perception from the people because he picked persons without grassroot touch into his team. Many of those who found themselves in Buhari’s cabinet have no connection with the people. That was why it felt at the grassroot as if the government was not doing anything.

It is hoped that Buhari has learnt a few lessons about leadership in the last four years that would help him surpass his own expectations for his second term. There are positive signs that Buhari’s second term would be markedly different from the first, and the first of this is the speculation that the president may have already compiled the list of those who would make his next cabinet.

If that is so, it is hoped that the next cabinet would be a right mix of deserving politicians and technocrats who would hit the ground running. Nothing less is expected from a president who must now, understandably, be in a hurry to deliver on his major election promises. Buhari, by his actions and statements since wining a second term, has shown he would like to be remembered positively by history. And that can only happen if he gets the right people to work with him.

Such persons are not too difficult to identify. They can be found in every state of this country. They are the leaders with pedigree; they are those who have dedicated their lives to creating wealth and lifting people out of poverty and ignorance. They are men and women of ideas and vision and drive. These are the men who can take the country to the next level of growth.

Men like Ogah must be encouraged to stay the course and never give up the struggle to make their societies better. This young man already holds one of Nigeria’s national honours- Officer of the Order of the Niger-a recognition of his invaluable contribution to economic development of the country.

-Kalu wrote from Abuja

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