Abia at 33: Looking to the Future with Boundless Optimism

Being the Text of Governor Alex Otti’s Message to Mark the 33rd Anniversary of the Creation of Abia State on Tuesday, August 27, 2024

1. Fellow Abians, brothers and sisters, friends, well-wishers and lovers of our great State, I bring you warm felicitations on this historic day as we celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the creation of our State. Let me begin by expressing the collective gratitude of our people to the Almighty God for preserving our lives to witness the joy of this very important day in our history, and for bringing us to a new epoch as we continue the lifelong commitment of creating a better society for ourselves, and those coming after us, building on the heroic sacrifices of the brave men and women who came before us.

2. Abia is christened God’s Own State for a reason. Events of the last 33 years have amply demonstrated that the people who occupy this land, have a special place in the Creator’s agenda, we are His people, He is our God and we do not take this privilege for granted. We have been led by God through what has been a long and interesting journey, passing from military administrators to democratically elected governors. May I, on behalf of the good people of Abia State, acknowledge and appreciate our past leaders for their diverse contributions to the political, economic and social development of our dear State. Individually and collectively, they contributed in very unique ways to the growth and transformation of our communities, touched lives, and made Abia an important place in the larger geographical reality called Nigeria.

3. This State was conceived in great hope — an understanding that an enterprising and diligent people, defined for ages by a firmly resilient disposition to life, deserve the freedom to chart the course of their destiny in a new community of dreamers, doers and self-starters. Beyond the gift of great men and women which has been bestowed on us in abundance, we also have very important foundational advantages including large expanse of fertile land to support our agricultural enterprises, vast supply of mineral resources, well known markets that reflect our historical interests in trade and commerce, and rich cultural practices which have been preserved for generations to constantly point us to our history, and values.

4. It has been 33 years of mixed harvests of good and the not-so-good. At any rate, the significance of today’s event is in the opportunity it provides for collective reflection; to evaluate the long journey we have made and ask a few soul-searching questions. This is also the best time to envision where we want to be in the next few decades and make a firm resolution to play our parts as citizens and leaders in diverse fields of calling to make the dream of a beautiful future a reality through the commitment we bring to our daily endeavours.

5. We have been presented with a new opportunity to dream bigger, start better and advance farther on the strength of knowledge gained from past experiences. On the basis of what we have learnt in the last 33 years, it is now taken for granted that it is up to us, the present generation of Ndi Abia, to work diligently to actualise the dreams and vision that inspired our fathers to fight for the creation of this State, set the foundation for its greatness and leave us good references in peaceful co-existence. It is now up to us to take up the challenge and contribute more than ever before to build a new, and just society.

6. As a government, we are continuing to expand the frontiers of opportunities for ordinary men and women in pursuit of the vision of the founding fathers of our great State. Through our infrastructure restoration and expansion projects in rural and urban communities, new corridors of opportunities are being created in agriculture and allied industries, retail trade, transportation, petroleum and solid mineral exploration, and so much more. Our economic development agenda is firmed on the creation of jobs, and alleviation of poverty.

7. A New Abia is being built and you, the people, are the architects, providing very critical support and direction to ensure that what we have committed to are being done, that the resources of the State are rightly channelled to meet the needs of the majority. Our development framework is comprehensive which explains why we are not just building new layers of physical infrastructure; we are also improving access to social services through sustained investments in the resuscitation of healthcare facilities and schools. Additionally, communities that were previously held hostage by criminal gangs have been liberated on the strength of our commitment to making Abia a truly safe destination for residents and businesses.

8. My promise is that we shall not rest on our oars. We shall continue to work very hard to fulfil the promises that won us your trust. We acknowledge that things have not gone according to plan following unanticipated economic headwinds which have made planning very difficult for families, businesses and also for the government. Even then, we must refuse to give in to despair because this present storm shall definitely pass.

9. We should go out today and always with our heads held high like our ancestors. We are the scions of brave men and women, our parents and grandparents lived through wars and famine yet, they did not stop dreaming. They were set apart by the power of optimism. As a people, this is the best time to look beyond the present circumstances and count our many blessings. May we take great pride in what we have achieved as a people in the last 33 years of daring and believing, of winning against the odds, and then step into the future with courage, certain that our victory will come. Abia, as we promised, shall be great in our lifetime because we know we have what it takes to do it and we shall do it, for ourselves, and for our children.

10. Thank you for listening, happy 33rd anniversary and may God bless Abia State.

Dr Alex C. Otti, OFR
Governor, Abia State.

27/08/2024