Alex Otti, governor of Abia State, has called on stakeholders in Aba and across the state, to help protect infrastructure being put in place by his administration.
He equally asked them to help sustain the huge gains made by his administration in keeping Aba clean.
Governor Otti made the call in his office when he received executives of two business groups from Aba; Association of International Traders and Ultimate Importers Associations led by their presidents, Edward Igwe and Iroegbu Agu, respectively.
The two groups said that they came to thank Governor Otti for recovering Aba from decades of ruins and transforming the infrastructural landscape, which has resulted in a massive boom in their businesses.
Governor Otti, while acknowledging their appreciation, noted that it is the duty of the government to provide an enabling environment for hardworking people to thrive in their endeavours.
“Once you are hardworking and you are focused, the government has a responsibility of providing the enabling environment for you to do your things.
“Unfortunately, Aba was abandoned for several decades. So, it became a major item on our agenda to recover it. We have done two years and a few months now, and I am happy that we have been successful in that journey of recovering Aba. There is still a lot to do; we are not resting on our oars.
“You will agree with me that the job is not an entirely easy one. We are not worried because we have people like you who would come back to show appreciation. Even if you didn’t come back to show appreciation, we can see it from the faces of people,” Otti stated.
The governor reassured them that the government would continue to play its part in providing the enabling environment for their businesses to thrive.
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He called on them to support the government to protect public infrastructure against vandalism and theft, and to keep their surroundings clean.
“We also have a few requests to make. One of them is that all the infrastructures we are putting in place – all the roads we are building, all the drainages we have cleared, all the schools we are rehabilitating, all the hospitals we are fixing, they are all for all of you. So, we request that you protect them.
“You ensure that they are not vandalized. You ensure that nothing would be stolen, including the streetlights that we are installing everywhere.”
On the environment, said, “It is also important that we learn to keep the environment clean. It should be a vigorous campaign in the whole of Aba. Today, if you move around, you won’t see those refuse dumps anymore. If we close our eyes, they will return, but they will not return under our watch.
“But then, it is important for all of us as stakeholders to preach it, let it become the new mantra, where you cannot, and would not be allowed to throw refuse anyhow. And, if you see anyone throwing refuse, you call the person and discipline him, and people will know that it is forbidden to do that”.
Governor Otti disclosed that work has started on some of the roads in the inner parts of Aba, being executed by the Greater Aba Development Agency (GADA).
He thanked the businessmen and traders from Aba for appreciating the work his administration has done in Aba and commended them for paying their taxes.
“I have always insisted that if you do the right thing, people will appreciate what you have done. Anytime that the Government has to deploy agberos or extrajudicial measures to get people to pay taxes, that means that the Government is not doing what it is supposed to do,” he added.
Leaders of the two associations earlier in their addresses to the governor, acknowledged and thanked him for rebuilding the broken infrastructures and reopening of forgotten roads in Aba, cleaning of the environment, which were major signposts of the city before he emerged as governor, and restoring security, among others.
“Trucks and containers no longer fall on top of each other as was the case just two years back.
“In Aba, warehouses are no longer being broken into at will as was the case before your emergence as governor of Abia State. We cannot thank you enough, sir.”
James Agbagha Ochunkwo, public relations officer of the groups, in vote of thanks, appreciated the governor for his infrastructural interventions never witnessed in Abia. Ochunkwo urged the governor to continue in the trajectory as businesses are returning back to the state.
