In the next few days, precisely on 29 May 2026, the Dr. Alex Otti-led administration in Abia State would have clocked three years in office. As the government unveils its plans to mark the anniversary, it has become imperative to examine how the state has fared in these past three years under the stewardship of Otti. Looking at where the state was when Otti mounted the leadership saddle in 2023 and where it is today, the conclusion is that Abia, under Otti`s watch has experienced a dramatic rebirth.
It has been three years of meaningful change that have brought unprecedented transformation to the state. This is clearly evident in the infrastructural revolution Governor Otti unleashed in Abia upon his assumption of office. It is not out of place to note that Otti met the state in a comatose position, after 24 cumulative years of succeeding PDP administrations characterized by gross misgovernance, leadership incompetence and grand larceny.
The state was serially raped and stripped to the ground by a vicious cabal that had no interest of the people at heart. They were a band of buccaneers who were primarily governed by the logic of primitive capital accumulation. The resources that were meant for the development of the state were wilfully diverted into private pockets. The consequence was that Abia remained stagnant and ossified in massive corruption and underdevelopment. No meaningful infrastructure was ever put in place by those administrations. Indeed, that era was the years eaten by the locust.
The emergence of Otti marked a paradigm shift. He came prepared with a blueprint to change the ugly narratives of the state. In the last three years, Abia has witnessed remarkable progress in all spheres of human endeavor. Given the economic reforms and flurry of infrastructural projects going on simultaneously in various parts of the state, Otti, indeed, is a breath of fresh air that eluded the state in the past.
The government has made impressive marks in the areas of road infrastructure, urban renewal, environmental sanitation, health care development, power reforms, transport modernization, educational development, culture and tourism, civil service and pension reforms, industrialization and ease of doing business, including airport development. Most importantly, Governor Otti has brought sanity, civility and transparency in the conduct of public policy. The culture of civility underpins the philosophy of New Abia in which the people of the state are being socialised into new civic values of decent behaviour and tempered approach to public engagement. This is in sharp contrast with the regime of gangsterism and lawlessness that prevailed in the old Abia.
The state capital, Umuahia, now wears a real modern look befitting its status as the seat of power. It has shed the toga of glorified village, courtesy of impressive investments the government has made in road infrastructure, urban renewal, streetlights, public transportation and waste management. All the major roads in Umuahia have been widened and provided with sidewalks.
The Ossah Road from the Abia Tower of Peace was the first of such roads to benefit from government intervention. This road which is the main approach highway into Umuahia City was expanded from four lanes to six lanes and fitted with solar-powered streetlights. The expansion has now been extended from Abia Tower to Onuimo at the boundary between Abia and Imo States. This segment is one of the landmark projects of the governor which has been scheduled for commissioning to mark the third year anniversary of the administration.
Within Umuahia, the governor has transformed the Michael Okpara Auditorium into a world-class conference facility that can host high-profile public events. A brand new and befitting Government House is currently under construction within the vicinity of the seat of power.
Another iconic project that has popped up in Umuahia is the Central Bus Terminal which is to be commissioned on Wednesday, 27 May 2026. The beautiful edifice is to serve as a central hub for intra-state and inter-state transportation from Umuahia, the state capital. With the completion of the structure, all licensed transport companies are to function from this elegant piece of architecture which can compete with similar facilities in the developed world. It comes with an escalator and will serve as the operational base of the Green Buses acquired by the Otti administration last December.
Within Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state, Governor Otti is boldly stamping his footprints in the sands of time. He has reconstructed and revamped all the vital road links in Aba, including the popular Port Harcourt Road which he reclaimed using Julius Berger, the construction giants in Nigeria. The glory of Aba has returned, courtesy of Otti`s Midas touch. Aba now enjoys regular power supply as a result of Otti`s reforms in the electricity sector and collaboration with Geometric Power Limited owned by Professor Bart Nnaji, a former Minister of Power.
There is really so much to celebrate, given the quantum of services Governor Otti has rendered within just three years in office. Not to be left out is the Abia Airport at Nsulu. The site has been fully secured with the completion of the payment of compensation to the land owners. The runway is currently under construction. On completion, the Airport would open up Abia to the rest of the world with the attendant foreign and local investments.
In addition to the Airport project, the reconstruction of the 67km Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Abiriba-Ohafia highway is one of the highpoints of Otti`s administration. The road is excellently constructed and fitted with streetlights on both sides. People living along that corridor now commute seamlessly into the state capital to transact their businesses and return to their villages with no hassles.
Ndi Abia are very grateful for the social revolution that is going on in the state. They are looking forward to more dividends of good governance as Otti completes his first term. The people are also ready to reward the governor with another four-year term in office for the excellent job he has done so far.
May Abia continue to prevail!
Dr. Nwosu is a Public Policy Analyst, writes from Umuahia. He can be reached on email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com
