THE ANTICIPATED DR ALEX OTTI TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: UMUAHIA IN PERSPECTIVE
By Agodi Kanu
May I first confess that I write this in strong and unshakable conviction that Dr Alex Chioma Otti, has won the governorship election slated for Saturday 18th March, 2023. The signs are obvious and expectations of the good people of Abia State cannot be cut short. Therefore, may I be the first to congratulate the next Executive Governor of Abia State come May 29th, 2023, His Excellency Alex Chioma Otti.
A transformational leader is one that inspires and motivates his team members to create positive changes within an organisation and in this instance, our state…..Abia State. Indisputable attributes of a transformational leader are that he or she must be visionary, charismatic and inspirational.
When a state is blessed with a transformational leader, erring powerful people must be stepped on to recreate, retrieve, recapture, recover and reinstate. His Leadership quality will achieve among other things, increase in people morale and productivity, quick resolution of conflicts, reduction in crime, believe in themselves, think out of the box and foster sense of ownership of the state including rapid innovations.
Putting politics aside, there is no way the story of FCT Abuja will be told without mention of Mallam Nasiru El rufai. Am not his fan at all but whatever people are seeing and enjoying in Abuja today was as a result of courageous hard work and very difficult decisions taken by El rufai as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. He had the backing of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo to carry out massive demolitions, recoveries and constructions. He surely courageously stepped on toes. People cried and complained but the future of Abuja was more important as the master plan must be restored against all odds.
Your Excellency, before letting you into some of these hard decisions, be rest assured that Ndi Abia who brought you into Abia State at a time and season as this are more than those corrupt and myopic opposition that will object to them but posterity will be kind to you. We need to rediscover our dear State to enable us be proud of it outside Abia State in the comity of States. Am focusing now on infrastructure.
Sir, Umuahia is a glorified capital. Its roundedly filthy with no functional waste disposal machinery. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Please put plans, processes and structure in place to keep Umuahia clean. There’s no dual carriage road in Umuahia and I know that some shallow minds will argue but you know it’s a truism Sir. Set money aside, demolish structures in public interest, pay compensations where necessary to achieve desired and befitting road networks in Umuahia. Mr Governor in waiting, please demolish all illegal shops/stall attachments to buildings first to achieve good ambiance and for environmental (flood/gutter) purposes. End street and road trading including at Gate. It’s an eyesore. Before then, rehabilitate Urban Market, review stalls on owner occupy basis (I will not discuss my idea on how it can work here). Expand the Urban market area with necessary amenities and marshall all traders to the market. It’s still within the metropolis. Rid the city of indiscriminate motor parks. Revisit already created park on Aba – Umuahia Expressway and evoke desired willpower to relocate them which am sure their Leadership will not oppose. Your Excellency, entrance to Umuahia from Port Harcourt Express (Tower)is demoralising and pathetic for a State capital. The former market arena where there is Estate is perfect for a Worldclass Mall that welcome visitors. Likewise, the current Abia Stadium at School Road has outlived its usefulness. Move the stadium to Bende Road or Aba- Port Harcourt expressway. The decision will naturally open up those new areas. Abia State have no proud Resort or Hotel. Revisit current encroachment into the hotel land, explore options of possible direct construction or deliver it under PPP….I know you know what to do. The availability of five star hotel will attract international and national retreats, conferences, seminars and workshops. The direct implication is rapid job creation, tourism, organised transportation, improved commerce and more revenue for government. Relocate the government agencies to the Secretariat and create sanity within the metropolis. When the contractors especially have project to execute, they will create direct and indirect jobs, improve tourism, lubricate the economy and make existence worth the while. Sir, the topography between Isieke and Ajata is perfect for a golf course. The benefits accruable from it are enormous.
Dear Dr Otti our next governor, please vigorously tackle insecurity (won’t discuss that here) and restore or encourage night life in Umuahia. Show me a stable, thriving socioeconomic city and you will find out that they have night life. Businesses, networkings, organised transportation and major decisions as well as tourism flourish and are mostly dotted at night. A situation whereby at 7pm Umuahia become a ghost town is unacceptable. Invest and create a new Umuahia. A well packaged new Umuahia will reduce pressure on current Umuahia….a new Umuahia that will be a model city with independent power and all modern facilities. Such deliberate expansion will have immediate and direct positive socioeconomic benefits to government and citizens.
The above suggestions are meant to engender physical transformation of our dear state of Abia which am undoubtedly convinced will give us sense of belonging, eradicate poverty, reduce crime, confer sense of ownership and responsibility and make Abians to rejoice.
Dear Abians the above transformational tips are possible and achievable. It can only be birthed by a visionary, charismatic, courageous and inspirational leader in the mould of Dr Alex Chioma Otti, the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP). The only thing separating us from experiencing these is your vote for LP (Mama Papa Pikin) on Saturday 18th March, 2023. Dr Otti will do much more.
No judiciary candidate can achieve this because they must recover and settle litigation fees up to supreme court couples with psychological suppression. Some are still battling in court because how they emerged with no clearly defined deputy governorship candidate.
No papacracy, mamacracy, dedecracy or ogacracy candidate can transform Abia because they must keep making returns in billions to our collective detriment……ozuola!!!!!!
Dr Alex Chioma Otti have no baggages. He will hit the ground running by working for and with us thereby leading the pace for a new Abia.
Vote LP (Mama Papa Pikin)…..for Transformational Leadership
Mazi Dr Agodi KANU is a writer, author, political analyst, security consultant and Director General of NAGLI-APM. He writes from Nigeria. agodi_kanu@yahoo.com
