When the federal government created states in Nigeria, there were cardinal cites, upon which those states would be built upon. In Abia State, Aba, the Enyimba City, is the fulcrum which was expected to take the God’s Own State to the heavenly gates of opportunities, abundance and shared prosperity for all Abians. That has not happened because Aba is the city that needs to be saved from the miry clay, instead of it providing the greener pastures. Yes, the promises are latent and remain unlocked.
The Abia State state motto as captured in the coat of arms is “prosperity through enterprise”. Aba will lead that because Aba is a center of enterprise and opportunity. To make that happen, there are many ideas which are being explored as we architect a plan for Dr Alex Otti, Abia State Governor-elect. Do we just give Aba its own ministry to help fast-track its development?
Sure, it is not going to be a ministry by name, but one that rebuilds, expands and advances a great city. With focused intervention programs, the Enyi of Ndi Abia will rise again. And when it returns to parity, that ministry could be scaled down.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
What do you think of this playbook? Do you think it could help bring urgency to the development of Aba, the land of enterprise and opportunity, in God’s Own State? #AbiaIsBetter for your investments.
Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe
Co-Chair, Abia State Economic Transformation Transition Council
---
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA (Feb 10 - May 3, 2025), and join Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe and our global faculty; click here.
Akwa Ibom State has AKICORP, whether Abia State calls it ministry of Aba, Department of Trade and Investment, or any other fine nomenclature, the objective is simple: making doing business in Aba a celestial experience. It will have the responsibility of providing and maintaining public infrastructure/amenities, and also offering one stop shop for anyone that wants to invest in Aba and its environs.
But more importantly, every staff of this special ministry/department must be elite staff. What does that mean? Under no circumstance should a staff of that ministry accept monetary or material gifts from prospecting investors, and no form of ‘corporate begging’ should ever be tolerated. Things like, ‘Oga, anything for weekend?’, ‘bros, do Christmas for us’, etc, should be forbidden from this special ministry/department. Nothing destroys faith in public/civil service more than ‘corporate begging’, it irritates every serious investor.
Again, this over used phrase called ‘ease of doing business’ must have practical meaning, like I stated earlier, the experience of any prospecting investor that enters the premises of this special ministry/department must be heavenly, anything short of that is unacceptable.
Please am begging for Abia to be great again, let remember the Hero that serve Abia State with there life and was sent packing in the name of NON Indigenes pensioner that serve the state and was remove from pension scheme in the name of NON Abian.
Please a pray you to bring this to the notice of the governors elect Alex Oti. To please help this people out and clean there tears.
Whatever can be done to turn things around in Aba, and by extension, Abia State. Aba is the fulcrum; it’s the hub meant to elevate Abia State to her pride of place in the league of prosperous states in Nigeria.
Abia was meant to be one of the wealthiest states and shouldn’t depend on federal allocation. The wealth in Aba alone, is capable of sustaining the entire state. But we’ve been very unlucky to have been ruled by unpatriotic people.
Dr. Otti proposed Ministry of Aba. This proposal reflects the level priority his administration is promising Aba/Abians required to bring Aba/Abia to parity. To me, it’s a welcome idea. I mean we’re losing a lot in Aba. Recovery of Aba is recovery of Abia State.
This ministry should not be politicised. During interactive sessions with him, he strengthened our hopes in the trust already reposed in him.
I think we’re good to go and should be given high priority from day 1.
Another area is the Public Schools. We need to restore the public school system. Very expedient or we retool the Private School System and give them proper regulation.
Reorientation of public sector employees is an urgent call. We look up to our governor-elect for the right Political Socialization. The wrong lifestyle of politicians which is killing the public sector, has to be corrected.
With right leadership Abia will be great again