Gov Otti Celebrates 35 Years of Abia State Creation

Umunnem ndi Abia, I greet you this morning with joy and gratitude. First, I thank God for His blessings on our land over the past 35 years. I also congratulate you, my dear brothers and sisters, as we celebrate this special anniversary in our journey together as a people. This moment shows our shared heritage, our strong spirit, and our hope for a better tomorrow. Each of us has played a part in defining our State, shaping its identity, and planning for its future. Fellow Abians, be proud of what you have done to build this community. Our happiness today is not about pride; it is based on our belief that security is here, our time has come, and with gratitude, we will take the chances before us to create a better place for those who will come after us. Our race is not about beating others; it is about pushing ourselves, staying committed, asking tough questions, and refusing to settle for anything less than we deserve.

The light of our State shines from the vision and intelligence of our first democratically elected Governor, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, CON. Over the past 27 years, my predecessors, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, MON, have worked hard for our people, contributing to our socio-economic and political growth. We owe them our thanks for their efforts in developing our State. On this significant day, we must also remember the military leaders who maintained peace and stability in the early years. The foundations laid by Air Vice Marshal Frank Ajobena, CON; Brigadier General Chinyere Ike Nwosu; Commander Temi Ejoor; Colonel Moses Fasanya; and Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Obi gave hope for our young State's potential. Like all of us, our past leaders were not perfect, but we must not forget their efforts to build a political body that meets the needs of everyone who shares in our heritage.

It is important to remember that Abia did not come from mere wishes; the Military Administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR, created our State after years of strong demands from political, traditional, and religious leaders, scholars, and industry leaders. Coincidentally, IBB spoke with me yesterday and asked me to send his best wishes to Ndi Abia. The leaders who pushed for the creation of our State believed we have a great destiny that can only be fulfilled in a unique political entity. Key figures in this movement included Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara, who led the Abia State Movement in the early 1980s, and his deputy, Chief Benjamin Nwachukwu. Other important leaders to mention are Dr Moses A. O. Agbara, Pharmacist Rufus Obi, Barrister Vincent Uwanna, Dr Nwakama Okoro, Barrister Igwe Ugwumba, Honourable Chief Eme Udeoji, Eze Dr Feyi Waboso, Chief O. C. Ememe, and Ezeji Joseph Madumere Nwamgburuka. These fathers worked hard to make the Abia we know today a reality. As we celebrate 35 years of turning a dream into reality, we must thank those who envisioned a future and worked hard to achieve it.

While the political and intellectual leaders led the fight to create our State, its enduring identity has been shaped by the strength of its entrepreneurs, artisans, and those whose creativity fills markets and trading posts across West Africa. The greatness of our State is also visible in the work of creative minds in the fashion industry, producing fabrics and leather goods that set standards in Nigeria and beyond. The beautiful buildings in our communities would not exist without the hard work of bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and many others who have continued our philosophy of hard work and value creation. Today, we also honor our teachers, past and present. These dedicated individuals invested their lives in ours to ensure that knowledge continues to shine brightly into the future. Civil servants, medical professionals, security agents, sanitation workers, traders, and countless others in our communities deserve praise for shaping our lives with their skills and commitment. Abia, like every society, reflects the energy and optimism of its people. We do not give up, no matter the challenges; we fight, work hard, and come back the next day until we achieve our goals. This anniversary is a special chance to celebrate the resilience that has carried us through tough times, especially remembering the ordinary men and women who show their faith in our founding ideals through their daily efforts. The credit for the achievements of the past 35 years belongs to every one of us who refused to be discouraged by the doubts we faced when we started this journey. Our children have a brighter future because of your courage, especially when things seemed difficult, and when the rewards of our work were unclear.

While it is good to congratulate ourselves on the blessings of the last 35 years, we must remember that we are just starting. The road ahead is still long, and the only way to succeed is to stay focused. We have barely started, and our founders had big dreams for our State over 40 years ago. Yes, we are expanding our roads, building more public and private structures, and using technology to open up opportunities. But there is still more to ask for and much work left to do. To improve, we must keep in mind that we are still far from the goals that inspired the dream of Abia. We cannot allow ourselves to become lazy or accept the limits that mediocrity places on our great aspirations. The Abia project took off because of the vision and determination of its founders. Our generation, despite its limitations, has continued the journey, and one day, we will pass on the baton to our children. Our job now is to make our community better for those who will come after us. We face challenges everywhere, but we must work together to build a better society for our children. As parents, we must prepare them for the new age where creating value, not just what is under the ground, will lead to lasting success.

To get our young ones ready for the future, we will keep investing in education and health. Our investments over the last three years have allowed us to hire and train thousands of teachers and health workers, improve salaries, and carry out capital projects, especially building and equipping smart schools and healthcare facilities. We are committed to ensuring that no child in Abia is disadvantaged because of their parents' economic or social background. This commitment is shown through our free and compulsory education program, efforts to improve learning quality in schools, and the spread of our smart schools. Beyond restoring our public schools as centers of learning, we have linked our health sector investments to the overall development program for our children. We believe that a child's growth is connected to the health and wellbeing of their parents. This is why we have invested in developing healthcare facilities in all 184 wards in the State to improve access for families. We have also improved the health insurance program to reduce the financial burden when accessing healthcare services.

I want to emphasize that our economic and social development programs are designed to create opportunities for our hardworking people, as our founders envisioned. Over the last three years, we have repaired over a thousand kilometers of roads in urban and rural areas to boost the economy, increase productivity, and attract investment, creating job opportunities for our youth. We also see potential in agriculture; beyond ensuring food security, we are investing in agriculture to create real jobs, increase household incomes, and draw foreign investment, which we are beginning to see. Similarly, the State is laying the groundwork to develop the housing sector by making the land administration process more transparent. We want to build public trust and increase real estate value as a way to create wealth. In the last three years, we have shown determination to seize opportunities in the ICT sector through training programs that have benefited thousands of young people. We are also investing in ICT infrastructure to improve access, especially for those in rural areas, so they can benefit from technology. We are focused on the promises of the future as we continue to pursue the dreams that led to the creation of Abia 35 years ago. Once again, I want to give credit where it belongs: to you, umunne m ndi Abia. Thank you for the sacrifices of the past 35 years; the success of our past and present belongs to you. Thank you for not giving up on this land and for your belief that the spirit of this great State is worth fighting for.

While we keep our focus on the future, we have also worked to right past wrongs. A clear example is our recent start to paying accumulated gratuity arrears, beginning from 2001. We will continue these payments as resources allow. You can trust that no senior citizen will be denied what they deserve. In addition to clearing debts from over 20 years ago, I have ordered that anyone leaving service will receive their gratuity once the necessary paperwork is completed. The old practice of denying retirees what is due to them is over. This administration will honor our senior citizens for their vital roles in the growth of our State since 1991.

The future is bright, but we must meet the challenges it brings. Building a State worthy of our parents' dreams is our shared responsibility. Today’s anniversary calls us to embrace our duties as citizens and stakeholders in the long-term development of the State. Pay your taxes and fees promptly, support security agents in keeping crime away from our State, and resist being used by those with bad intentions. Abia is ours to build, and thankfully, we are on the right path. As we move into the future with a renewed sense of purpose, let us take comfort in knowing that our destiny is shaped by our own hands.

Thank you for listening, and may God bless Abia State.