New Horizon On Aba – By T.A. Orji

A lot has been said about Aba, the commercial destination of Nigeria. I am not about to join issues with all the various positions that may have been advocated, whether for or against. But I will reiterate our avowal as publicly pledged, during the inauguration of our mandate, to the effect that we will faithfully live up to the aspiration of our people. Aba is not an exception to that pledge and this has been variously demonstrated by a glaring sincerity of purpose in addressing major challenges in Aba.

For a retrospective brief, it is a common knowledge that the gateway status of Aba is a follow up to the business adventures of our Igbo brothers. The city accommodated their strategic business interest in terms of proximity to railway and seaport through nearby Port Harcourt and accessibility to other states. Aba did well as a market town ably administered by retinue of Igbo merchants who ventured into various trades and vocations.

With the passage of time, these Igbo produce merchants flourished in their trade and consequently the British Colonial masters were attracted to designate Aba as one of their administrative enclaves.

Before the exit of the British Colonial Masters, Aba had become a household name in Nigeria and subsequently, made it to the African map as a commercial hub of note. Naturally, the status of the city compelled her to grapple with the influx of human beings who as it where came in droves. The consequence is that indecency and flagrant disregard for environmental friendliness has become a way of life in Aba.

It became so mountainous that successive government’s shied away from making a remarkable input in expanding the already over-stretched infrastructure in the City of Aba. But our genuine desire to comprehensively turn Aba into a huge construction site was fiercely challenged, Firstly, by incredible security challenge and secondly by the financial wherewithal to adopt emergency zone approach. However, the enormity of decay, prompted government to conscientiously prioritized interventions and constantly reconciled it with available resources vis-à-vis the expected necessity of allocating similar values to other geopolitical enclaves of the state.

Those who disdained our promises as being empty, would have been jolted by the reality of rehabilitations going on in sixteen roads in Aba, viz Azikiwe road, Cemetery road, Milverton Avenue, Eziukwu/ Okigwe round about, Ama Ogbonnay, Nwala by Faulks road to brass junction, linking Aba Owerri road, Ngwa road, Ohanku road, Eemelogu road (completed awaiting drainage) Ehere road, Omoba road, Umuola road, Ikot-Ekpene road from Opobo junction to Bata, Omuma by ACCN, Nwigwe by Nwagba Avenue, geometric access road, and Aba-Port Harcourt road.

Government had earlier rose to the challenge of rehabilitating and dualizing the impassible Aba-Owerri road and notorious Ukwu-Mango, and others. When it became environmentally expedient that Abayi-express market and in its place build a lush green and life enhancing relaxation garden, government swung into action.

The investment gateway extended to Geometric Energy Limited will emphatically jumpstart every latent enterprise in Aba and redefine access to energy for optimum business delivery.

Our state and federal legislatures elected to protect the interest of Aba political block have combined beautifully well with the state government to jointly promote the interest of Aba our commercial pride. The strategic importance of repositioning Aba, gave rise to our support and deployment of resources towards the creation of Aba State. We had reasoned that its attainment would facilitate the mobilization of facilities for accelerated development of both states. A monthly federation allocation of three billion, five hundred million Naira and minimally improved internally generated revenue is abysmally inadequate to scratch the surface of Aba’s infrastructural challenge. This is regardless of the inevitable necessity of having to allocate two billion, five hundred million naira, monthly from the same next to nothing allocation to pay workers salaries.

Let us draw from the wisdom of history, as we recall the horrendous past, when evil repeatedly danced in the square of the righteous, until the heart-rending cry of the state attracted the intervention of heaven. Abia once cajoled and derided is now playing host to stake holders & interest groups, who are desirous of a practical recipe to security challenges residing in their domain.

Our irreversible commitment to Aba will continue to drive the vision of sanitizing the city, for the enhancement of our people’s well being. Our regime of matching words with action will see to it that blocked drainages are thoroughly desilted and illegal structures obstructing the rehabilitation and construction of new ones are summarily demolished. Armed with the survey report of a seasoned professional in urban challenges, we have resolved to critically approach head long, a comprehensive enumeration of properties in Aba and other urban areas of the state with a view to streamlining all forms of levies and development funds.

Government also considered it appropriate to partner with the market unions of Ariaria International market, and others with a view to rehabilitating sectional roads in the market.

Our sincerity of purpose in that regard was practically demonstrated by a genuine commitment of allowing the market union unfettered access to revenues accruing from the market for intervention in critical road situations and Government also subventing it

Suffice it to say that the government of Abia State believes in Aba and is practically committed to its re-engineering.

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T.A. Orji – the Governor of Abia State wrote in from Umuahia