BY T. A. ORJI
This particular yuletide season graciously provides me with the platform to widely reflect on the inevitable reason for the season and its universal importance to our people.
My itinerant and upwardly mobile kit and kins are winding up activities at their various callings and vocations for the year, preparatory to an exciting home coming so as to savour the totality of the joy that comes with the season. Little wonder it’s been postulated, “Weather we sojourn in the east or in the west, home is still the best”. The extent of its effect is that our people can take a brake from the fortunes of their various empires to join in consummating this season of divine endorsement.
The biblical account of appreciating the unique birth of our lord and master Jesus Christ will always and undoubtedly remain a food for thought to every one who desires the privilege of being identified with Jesus Christ. Making Him our role model will facilitate the fulfillment of great destines which we have been entrusted with, but are currently latent because we are groping in darkness occasioned by so great a cloud of diversionary witnesses.
True to their nature, our people are known to have adequately made use of the season to institute various development programmes in their localities and sojourning abodes. Launchings, community buildings and other development milestones will be aggressively pursued as our people make the best of the season and exchange banters and pleasantries with long lost affectionate ones.
The desire to always share in the joy of our people as we commemorate this yearly re-union of unspeakable joy, has spurred us on to see today’s success as stepping-stones for greater difference. The desire to spiritually locate our bearing, freed us from the sorry state of the past where we wallowed in precarious situation and leaving the center unable to hold. The state was at the precipice of plugging into the biblical Jeroboam’s nature of bestiality known for its reception of idol worshiping and the abominable act of consulting and fraternizing with the devil. The glaring reality of today’s gubernatorial stewardship which I am privileged to be piloting is that the extraction of official loyalty and allegiance is done before the omnipresent and omniscience God, which our biblically inspired Abia boldly and proudly worships. This is the death knell that extinguished every vestige and semblance of untoward activities aimed at hallowing the forces of darkness, epitomized by an acclaimed but banished dynasty of evil.
Consequently, the state has been clinically restructured, for the institution and celebration of clannish sense of belonging, which is already producing the expected result of banishing bickering and animosity amongst our people. We are building on that to deliver a state that is holistically developed. As I recall the distracting challenges of the past, it gladdens my heart to acknowledge the ever presence of God’s divine enablement which turned our challenges to stepping stones for today’s success.
As we usher in our throngs of holiday makers to the ecstatic feeling of inhaling filtered air occasioned by the life enhancing presence of lush green trees, I will humbly wish to confirm our annual programme of facilitating our people’s safe journey home, through the provision of free transport designated to take off from states with heavier presence of our people like Lagos, Abuja and some selected northern states.
Our pledge is strongly anchored on a vow to faithfully make a huge difference and leave legacies that will stand the taste of time. This blue print was badly challenged by the menace of security and its plaguing dimension of kidnapping investors and infrastructural partners. The application of God’s divine initiative earned us the much-expected victory over that audacious wickedness. Abia is now peaceful and the combinations of crime cracking law enforcement agents are humbling other pockets of resistances. Penultimate week, our divine administration, proactively donated more patrol jeeps to all the security formations in the state to enforce our people’s freedom of movement and association.
As our people bask in the euphoria of briefly exploring the joy of home coming before the expiration of the holidays their movement around town will practically confirm our sincerity and genuine sense of direction. I believe it will gladden their hears to discover that we are not paying lip service to the all important housing sector. The elitist Amokwe housing estate located at Adelabu Street Umuahia is now a reality. In the same vein, we are not reneging in the actualization of Isieke Housing Estate. The breath taking and imposing workers secretariat of four floors in two places will be commissioned in a matter of 2-3 months.
This is closely followed with state of the art international conference center all situated at the new Umuahia Capital Layout. Abia is receiving a virile structural identity, necessary for the sustenance of development and our loyalty and dedication in attaining these tasks are non negotiable. As one stands on one of the floors of the new secretariat building for an aerial view of the new umuahia, one praises God for the beauty it exhibits, with many roads well-constructed and beautiful buildings germinating on daily basis. Today, we are celebrating so many flagships hitherto not provided, but which will without doubt impact on the over all well being of the people in the long run. This is why I will always brandish our icing on the health care delivery sector; Abia state specialist hospital and diagnostic center.
With the capacity to diagnose and treat all manner of complicated diseases, including liver, kidney, eye and other allied cases. It summarized our zonal drive of locating over 210 functional health centers in all the nooks and crannies of Abia State. If our claim is not tenable, I believe Millennium Development Goals, which partnered with us in that regard will prove us wrong.
I strongly desire to be remembered as having bequeathed the good people of Abia State with a befitting Government House and Governors lodge, capable of conforming to the wonders of today’s 21^st century World. That desire is practically receiving a huge bite, as the foundation stone for the above mentioned great vision will be carried out in a matter of days. The Construction of the new market parks are on-going in Umuahia & Ukwa west Local Government Areas
As a follow up to the remarks I made on the health care delivery sector, I believe some of our mummies and daddies will share with their holiday making sons and daughters, the good news of how our team of expatriate medical doctors came on a rescue mission to intervene in their various health situations.
Mechanical systems limited is partnering with the good intentions of government for the evacuation of electricity from Ohiya 132/33 KVA power station to the affected feeder/sub-stations (Afara Feeder, Ubakala Feeder, Nkwoegwu Feeder, Ntigha feeder and Obowo feeder/sub-stations). This will significantly improve power supply in the state and make our peoples stay a memorable one.
Our development partners in road construction have been mobilized back to site. This is in practical demonstration of making our word our bond. Coduc Nigeria Limited is therefore shouldering the responsibility of fixing Ohanku and the 8.4-kilometer Obohia road from Ngwa road junction to Ugwunagbo Local Government Head quarters. In the same vein, new idea construction company Limited has been commissioned to re-construct the federal Ohafia Arochukwu road and dualize the Ajata Umuahia session of the federal Bende-Umuahia road. Nunya-Isuikwuato road will be commissioned before long, just like the in-passable Ozu-Abam-Arochukwu road has been awarded for re-construction. Aba the Enyimba City & the Achilles feet of every administration has become our greatest strength as massive road construction and rehabilitation is on-going, including a great attack on the erosion and sanitation challenges of the City. Curses have turned into praises.
The first Abia State Economic summit is already yielding returns as I confirm the reality of a private refinery for which a land has already been provided for at Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area. A team of government functionaries visited our investment partners in Dubai to fast-track the modalities.
As earlier on somewhere, sometime acknowledged, I am constantly reminded by the deep meaning in my name that I must raise the stakes and having anchored my faith and re-dedicated our dear state to God I am confident that I will not betray the confidence which my people re-posed on me, through their monumental mandate.
My prayer as I conclude this note of love is that they would choose to step into their circle of blessing this Christmas and as they delight themselves in the Lord, that He may fill every part of their life with the fullness of His presence. Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2012
 
T.A. Orji is the Executive Governor of Abia State.