Abia at 33: No regret despite challenges,Abia has taken a leap for development….Eze G C Ibeakanma.

To: Editor, Blueprint
Slug: Abia at 33: No regret , despite challenges, Abia has taken leap for development…Eze G . C Ibeakanma.

….lauds Gov Otti’s giant strides few months in office,describes him as  great reformer.

In this Exclusive interview with His Royal Majesty,HRM Eze Godfrey Chikwendu Ibeakanma with Sam Obinna Ibe in his Ezeukwu Palace,Umuojameze Ezeleke Umuopara in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State,Thursday,the colorful royal father noted that despite the “ping pong ball dimensions” challenges facing us in the face as a people in Abia state,that we are moving towards the promise land and that he can see brighter future ahead.

Eze G C Ibeakanma also expressed optimism that the Labour Party led Government has delivered the dividends of democracy in all facets of the state economy noting that if the reformer Dr Alex Otti has started from the onset , beginning, Abia State would have by now be better than Dubai.

He also commended the state government for the proposed plans to expand Amankwo Express tower to Onuimo road as a welcome development which he said will attract commercial activities as well as generate employment opportunities for the youths while calling on his people to cooperate with the government that they will not be cheated since there are already a template set out by the government using Ossah land owners compasention as a case study.

Eze Ibeakanma who was the former Chairman Umuopara Council of Traditional rulers noted that there is nothing wrong for government to recover public schools criminally encroached while lamenting that as a product of Umuopara Secondary School during the 1960’s that where the school first gate was mounted is today housing filling station and stores.

As if the encroachment was not enough,that concrete pillars and school fences had all be removed wondering why it could so.

Eze G C Ibeakanma also pleaded with Gov Alex Otti to revisit the issue of UMUOPARA RING ROAD with a view to helping the people to complete same , surely,if he does that , Umuopara people will not forget to write his name in gold fy  a major road that all previous administrations made bogus promises without completing the all important ring road  among others.

Excerpts :

What is your assessment of Abia State 33 years after it’s creation by the Military Administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida on 27th August,1991?

Thank you so much,that is a very interesting question,to me there is no regret for Abia at 33 years for it’s creation. I remembered in appreciation of the former military administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida retired who administratively created Abia to put it in the map of Nigeria as number one state in alphabetical order.

I said thank you to IBB for giving us Abia State,hence today we have a governor governing us as autonomous state in Nigeria. In 2007,when Chief Dr T A Orji was the Executive Governor of Abia State in his first term in office,i was among the delegation  he sent to Niger State to thank General
Ibrahim badamosi Babangida( retired )when we told him the purpose of our visit . In his response,he said that one the greatest things he ever did and one of his happiest moment was the creation of Abia State..
And for such a man to have acknowledged this feat that his joy, his happiest moment since that time  in 2007 is in creating Abia State.

If IBB was that happy in 2007
for creating Abia in August 27,1991,you would  then imagine how he will feel if he  is to visit Abia now and seeing developmental strides that have taken place today.

I know since 1991 when the military administration held sway till the time of Dr Ogbonnaya  Onu now late as a democratically elected governor of the state till the time of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu in 1999 to 2007 up to Dr T A Orji’s administration,2007-2015 leading to Dr Victor Okezie Ikpeazu ‘s reign 2015- 2023 uninterrupted civilian administration, leadership and administration had been a ” Ping Pong Ball” posture Chinese word for,up and down , down and Up ) and still no regret because all the players,governors of the state starting from Dr Orji Uzor Kalu to the current reformer of ours ,His Excellency,Dr Alex Chioma Otti,the fifth Executive Governor, Abia State has taken a great leap for development.

Most importantly,with the
emergence of this reformer,astute Economist,ex- Banker, Human and Material Resources Manager,, Abia State has taken her boldest leap in development such as : infrastructure, health, education, security,trade, commerce and industry etc.

Therefore i am proud to be an Abians,we are moving towards the promise land in the sense that i can envisioned a brighter future for the entire citizenry of Abia State.No matter the ping pong ball dimensions the leadership and administration of Abia State has assumed since it’s creation,the attendant challenges,there is progression.

How would you also assess Governor Alex Otti,15 months after he assumed office as the Executive Governor of Abia State?

In my check list of performance of Governor Alex Otti,I will tick him excellent given the raplidity by which he has transformed Abia State within the months under review,is exceptional, it’s unprecedented.

Assuming what he has achieved within these few months,yet done without any additional resources,if we had experienced it from the onset, from the beginning, Abia State would have been  better than Dubai.

Governor Alex Otti has turned  Abia to a tourism attraction state not necessarily because of Arts and Culture which abound in the state anyway,but because of the template and model of good governance he has showcased in the state, people from all walks of life including past heads of states visiting to witness the transformation of the state ,

I therefore see him as a role model  of a sincere and people oriented government of Ndi Abia.

On expansion of Amankwo Ezeleke Abia Tower of Peace Express   Onuimo by the state government which falls within part of your kingdom?

It’s a very welcome idea. It is a gateway to development. It will further expose our areas to commercial activities and employment. I know also that it will help in attracting other infrastructure to the areas and it’s axis,I therefore welcomed it.

What will be your advice to  Umuopara people who may be affected by the demolition exercise?

Already there is a template,there has been a precedent,government of Dr Alex Otti is a government with HUMAN FACE. I said there is a precedent with particular reference to what happened at expansion of old Ossah Mission Hill road. I know His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Otti will not treat our own people differently.

I therefore appeal to our own people to cooperate with the government because I know that he will treat them very fairly.

On government’s efforts in recovery public schools encumbered by individuals including encroachment of Umuopara Secondary School.

There is nothing wrong by government to recover public property especially schools that have been encumbered, therefore,the government should intervene . Umuopara Secondary School has enough land to accommodate a SCHOOL of Science and Technology.

It has the Capacity to  accommodate extension of our present Universities campuses. I would rather plead with the government to help to legally recover all those criminally encroached land to enable expansion.

The lacuna we are having is assess to the master plan of the school land.
I passed through Umuopara Secondary School in the 1960’s and I have not forgotten that our first gate was located where they have filling station and stores today. Some few years ago, I visited the school,some of the concrete pillars and school fences had been removed.

On abandonment of Umuopara Ring road .

I will plead with the government no matter what would have happened before now to benevolently revisit Umuopara Ring Road,it is only major road that link Southern part of Umuopara, Umunwanwa and Ogbodinibe to their northern  Umuopara,Ekenobizi , Ezeleke and Eastern Umuopara Ogbodiukwu, Umuihe and Ehume,that road has lingered for too long from time of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu through Dr T A Orji down to Dr Victor Okezie Ikpeazu and now to Dr Alex Chioma Otti.

If these past administrations have been unable to give us what we have been yearning for since the creation of Abia State, Otti’s name will be written in gold on the sands of history of Umuopara Ahia Asaa. If his administration can complete the construction of this road and hand over to the good people of Umuopara,it is a special appeal.

We are in the months of iri ji new yam festival,but some traditional rulers have been accused of celebrating yams bought from the market rather the ones cultivated  and harvested in their farms,what is your take on this sir?

In Igbo land,iri ji is very symbolic,it is part of our history,tradition and culture of our people . What are the reasons for iri ji?

The answers are iri ji is the way Igbo people appreciate God through small gods  are called ohanjoku . Ohanjoku is the god of yam. It is the way you appreciate God ,Obasi di n’elu meaning,God who is Heaven through ohanjoku in the traditional setting , praying God Almighty for a bountiful harvest.

Iri ji is something that transcends history,it is an important festival in Igbo land where they appreciate God for making it possible to have a bountiful harvest within one calendar year.

In effect,traditional rulers are supposed to celebrate the new yam festival with the yams planted by them . Iri ji is part of our culture bequeath to us by our forefathers. It also has some cultural inhibitions.

For example,if a traditional ruler dies within a twelve calendar month,what are you celebrating the new yam festival for ? Someone who is mourning is not celebrating even in a family when the husband dies,it is a tradition that his wife, children will have to mourn him for one year .

When you talk of bountiful harvest,it is not about losing your people,you cannot celebrate,your family cannot have their dead one in the morgue  and you said that you are celebrating iri ji,it is an aberration in Igbo land.Bountiful harvest includes not having dead in the family of the celebrant.

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