OPINION: Letter to Abia governor-elect, Otti

Abia state of our dream

Letter to Abia gov-elect Otti

 Your Excellency,

Congratulations on your victory as the elected governor of Abia State. Your overwhelming success at the polls, and the spontaneous pouring of Abians into the streets from every nook and cranny of the State, young, old, male and female, in jubilation to express their joy and happiness when you were eventually declared the winner after the abysmal failure of their shenanigans and manipulations to scuttle the result, was indicative of the fact that Abians spoke unequivocally loud and clear with their votes, and their verdict was: ‘Give us Dr. Alex Otti’. And accordingly, Dr Alex Otti, they got. I therefore will also like to heartily congratulate the good people of Abia for their resilience and unwavering stance. It was a struggle, actually a fierce battle for the soul of Abia, but the wish of the people prevailed. It was indeed the people’s victory through you. That much you tried to express in your classical first interview on Channels TV with Seun Okinbaloye.

The 2023 Abia gubernatorial election results brought to a closure the 24- long years of Abia State period of darkness. We wish this period never existed in creation or better still that it’s deleted from the annals of our history as a people.

We have been rescued from kidnap, tyranny, knee on our necks and above all from about two and a half decades of modern-day State capture superintended over by the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]

I applaud your resilience, having made two unsuccessful attempts in the past two elections, yet you remained undaunted. The people actually did not reject you but the corrupt and rogue system did. Your commitment to public service and unwavering dedication to the betterment of our beloved state was not in doubt. As we usher in this era of renewed Hope brought by your victory, we are confident that under your leadership, Abia State will experience unprecedented growth and development.

 

Very soon, on May 29, you will assume your new role as the Executive Governor of Abia State. However, it is important to acknowledge the significant challenges that lie ahead. The high expectations of the people, the enormity of the rebuilding process, and the limited resources available. In fact, that is why I personally empathize with you. But with your notable capacity and commitment to not only make a difference but also show a difference, I have no iota of doubt that with you, Abia State is in for the best of times.

 

For the past two and a half decades, our beloved Abia State has been plagued by poor governance, and the effects of that have been felt across all sectors of our society. Our ever-decaying road infrastructure has completely broken down, particularly in Aba and other towns. Insecurity is on the rise, unemployment is in everybody’s neighbourhood, corruption is now a norm, and access to basic amenities such as water, electricity, and education is severely limited and in some cases non-existent.

 

I like to share in your vision of an Abia that will be the cynosure of all eyes and a preferred destination for local and international investors. And number one tourists’ destination from far and near to visit, learn, work, relax and enjoy the best of secure environments.

 

In fact, your body language and all, speak to your utmost determination to give whatever it takes to make Abia State work. Be assured therefore, that we are in it together and will do everything possible to support you all the way, because it’s our collective dream and assignment to build a new prosperous Abia State where innovations, brilliant, excellent and sound ideas would reign and afford Abians the opportunity to express their rights to succeed. Such environment would in no small measure help mobilize the creative resources of our people in Lagos, Kano and indeed all over the world to return home and join us to build a new homeland for God’s own people.

 

To realize that dream homeland for every Abian, each and every one of us must be encouraged to engage and contribute meaningfully to the development of the State. Here are some of my thoughts, strategies and ideas for your consideration as you begin to confront the many developmental issues of the State.

 

1.  The Transition Council

Given the antecedents of the outgoing PDP government which has held sway since 1999, it might be foolhardy to trust their records and information without proper interrogation. They are crafty and certainly not happy to lose power after 24 years on the saddle. They will do anything possible to frustrate and make you fail so as to relatively look good. They would set landmines on your path and covertly want to lead you through them. That plot will begin with the power transition process. They would want to pass on to your administration, unreliable records and numbers to work with. They must be checkmated.

It’s therefore critical and strongly recommended that a robust Transition council be emplaced. Those that should function in the Council must be experts in their relevant fields, technocrats, tested and trusted people of high integrity, competence and capability, people whose default character is permanently on uncompromising mode. By the Transition Council team you have put together and just announced, Abia could not have had it any better. Good start. Congratulations. However, to gain reasonable speed within good time, you must keep the margin of errors in your government very low.

2.  Tackling the problems

1. Pension and salary arrears

Your first few days or weeks in office from May 29^th would perhaps see you take head-on such inherited problems as salary arrears, pension arrears and some other critical debts left behind by the PDP administration.

The salary and pension arrears situation is a major challenge particularly with a bloated workforce on the government’s payroll, many of who are unproductive, some ghosts and others not competent enough to discharge their roles. The handling of this exercise may make or mar its success. Before you commence the settlement of the arrears, permit me Your Excellency to suggest some pragmatic steps necessary to address the situation.

Firstly, I believe it is essential to establish the actual number of excess and unproductive workers through a thorough audit of the workforce. This will help you determine the actual size of the workforce and identify gaps where improvements can be made. The staff audit will open a 360- degree view of all the arrears for you to prioritize and schedule payments based on cash flow and available resources.

To achieve a dependable audit of the workforce, you may want to segment the offices, departments, agencies, etc., and set up lean Committees accordingly to first interrogate and establish the veracity of every claim and the extent of government commitment to such offices, departments, agencies, etc. Each committee will verify the true state of affairs in its responsible unit and obtain further primary information/data which will be fed into the system to enable the deployment of technology for seamless and efficient payment/financial transaction system, going forward.

For example, a committee on Primary School teacher’s salary arrears should while verifying details, also obtain fresh primary and authentic data to compare and contrast what the government may have in their records. The suggested fresh data to collect may include:

1. Name of School & location
2. Number of pupils in the school
   • How many males and females

3. Total number of teaching staff

4. Total number of admin staff

5. Name of staff
   • Date of birth & Gender
   • Qualification & Position
   • Date employed
   • Length of service
   • Grade level and current salary

With such data as this obtained about every employee of government stored in the system, consequent changes would only require simple updates. Again, government would find it quite useful for short- and long-term planning. At the end of the exercise, govt can confirm:

1. Total number of Schools in the State and geographical spread
2. Total number of pupils in the schools with their respective bio-data
3. Total number of teachers govt has to pay salaries, when they will retire,

If this is replicated in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies [MDAs] , it will mitigate against any conceivable cases of ghost workers which they have always used to drain our common wealth.

B.   Legal but redundant and unproductive employees

This group is certainly in their numbers amidst government employees. Among them also are those employed based on political patronage. Given that these people have been earning salaries and contributing virtually nothing, government would be minded to quickly disengage them from service, but I would advise against such quick fix approach. It’s not effective as much as it’s counterproductive.

 

There is another way. I would rather suggest that the excess and unproductive workers be first identified, retrained and redeployed to other productive areas. Such areas as the agricultural sector. To achieve this, I would recommend that you expand the agricultural sector. Engage the State Ministry of Agriculture to promote and encourage farming, provide incentives for starters, establish farming equipment hiring depots in every farming community, provide high yielding seed crops, encourage farmers cooperatives and make loans accessible to farmers through them and guarantee off-take of their products/produce to encourage more investments in their farms to increase productivity. The hitherto redundant government employees, now gainfully redeployed to agriculture would voluntarily disengage from service for a new and better life in agriculture. By this approach, you will increase food production, reduce government expenditure while creating employment opportunities in sectors that require skilled workers, further job opportunities in the agricultural value chain and related sectors. Beyond providing employment opportunities, it will also help to diversify the economy of the State and consequently you have a win-win result.

 

C.   Industrialization

As you are aware, industry is critical to the economic growth and well-being of any society. Abia State is no exception. The establishment of industries will create job opportunities and boost the local economy. Abia state had the potential to have been the number one industrialized state in Nigeria but for the poor governance it has had over the years. The leaders lacked capacity, were short sighted, regressive and incompetent at managing anything. The result is the underdevelopment across the state.

 

However, all hope is not lost. We can still recover and take our desirable place among other states of the federation particularly under your leadership.

 

As you seek to build a strong industrial base for Abia State, I wish to propose some strategies I believe could help achieve the objective. I spent an appreciable length of time in some Asian countries, particularly in South Korea where I witnessed aspects of their industrial progression first-hand. The South Korean and perhaps Chinese fast industrial development success story unarguably anchored on SMEs, production, aggressive export drive and people’s orientation and tuned perception of Korean made products as No.1, whether it was good or not. I strongly believe that SMEs drive policy is a perfect fit for our Abia State.

Aba could become a production and supply hub, first to the Nigerian market, to the ECOWAS, African and the global market.

 

To succeed through this route and given the current state of affairs generally in the State, a short- term industrial development policy approach should be considered to first mitigate the deplorable road infrastructure in Aba and progressed to medium and long term. By and large, a strong broad based industrial foundation is imperative for the State to stand on, and launch into the global arena to become a strong player. It is possible.

To that end therefore, I like to propose:

• That a comprehensive industrial policy be developed for the This should include a clear plan for infrastructure development, well-articulated frame work for small and medium scale businesses development, support for local entrepreneurs, etc. The policy should also identify key industries that the State would want to develop, and also outline specific targets for growth.

 

• Create a favourable business environment: Government should make it easy for businesses to set up and operate by reducing bureaucratic hurdles, guarantee stable regulatory environment, provide incentives including tax incentives for new businesses, streamline licensing or registration procedures, tax policy, and other measures that encourage investment.
• Develop strong links with the educational sector: Government should encourage and build strategic strong relationship between State industrial and the educational sectors. This can include government investing in vocational training programs, collaborating with universities to develop research and development capabilities, and promoting entrepreneurship among students.

 

• Encourage innovation: To become a truly industrialized state, there needs to be a culture of innovation. Government should encourage innovation by investing in research and development, providing incentives for new technologies, and supporting startups that focus on

 

• Invest in infrastructure: Industrialization requires robust infrastructure, including reliable power supply, transportation, and communication networks. Government should prioritize long term investment in these areas to ensure that businesses have the necessary infrastructure to succeed and

 

• Local Private and International Partnerships: Government should explore opportunities to partner with private individual entrepreneurs, corporate entities, other States and countries to share knowledge, expertise, and resources. This can include joint ventures, collaborations, and other partnerships that help to build a strong industrial

 

Building an industrialized state would require a combination of strategic policies, a favourable business environment, investment in infrastructure, and a culture of innovation. By implementing these strategies, the State will attract new businesses, create jobs and reduce crime, and build a strong industrial base that drives economic growth and prosperity.

 

D.  Small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs)

The SMEs remain the bedrock of industrialization. Developing it will create job opportunities and boost the local economy. Small and medium-scale enterprises are businesses that produce goods or services on a limited scale. They are often owned and operated by individuals or families. They have a relatively small workforce and easier to manage. They can be established in various sectors such as food processing, textiles and garment making, woodwork, handicrafts, shoe making etc. Anybody with knowledge in any field can start one. It’s that simple. The aggregation of it is the engine room of any economy.

To promote the establishment of small and medium-scale industries, I propose that:

The state government offer incentives such as tax breaks and low-interest loans to individuals or groups interested in starting these businesses. Government could also help provide training and technical assistance to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas and skills.

In addition to promoting entrepreneurship, we suggest that the State government could collaborate with educational institutions and training consultants to establish technical schools or training centres that will train technicians to work in the cottage industry. The curriculum should be tailored to meeting the needs of the small and medium-scale industries and should focus on skills such as machinery operation, quality control, and product development.

The trained technicians will play a critical role in the success of the cottage industry by ensuring the quality of the products produced, and improving the efficiency of the production process and consequently lead to increased productivity and profitability for the businesses.

The overall effect of establishing small and medium-scale industries will be quite significant on the local economy, and while the training of technicians will guarantee skilled labour for the industry to succeed, the State could actually become a medium skill manpower supply hub to other states and beyond.

Your Excellency, these are my thoughts and ideas which I urge you to look at and consider for inclusion in your plan to rebuild Abia State.

God bless you and God bless ABIA Thank you for your attention.

Yours Sincerely,

 

AUTHOR: Udochukwu George-Emenike

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Articles published in our Graffiti section are strictly the opinion of the writers and do not represent the views of Ripples Nigeria or its editorial stand.

 

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