By Peter Agba Kalu
There comes a time in ones life when after having sleepless nights over an issue, you woke up one day, search deep into your conscience and face that moment of truth. After battling deep down my conscience for so long, that moment of truth came to me today. But before I step out of cave where l have been hiding reality to enable me not to see it, l must first of all thank critics. The greatest heroes of my today’s story are the social critics who has been on their toes criticizing the leadership of Okezie Ikpeazu, they kept him on his toes, they made him uncomfortable, they gave John Okiyi Kalu and Onyebuchi Ememanka sleepless nights, they sacked commissioners, personal and special assistants, they removed press secs to the governor, they made expensive foods and wines bitter in the mouth of those in government. They’re truly the government’s best friend for the force them to look deep and start digging out their best. This is what government and opposition should be. Please don’t stop criticizing this Okezie Ikpeazu government. Hit them more, hit them with facts and statistics not lies, but while taking it out on Okezie Ikpeazu and his team, let’s not destroy Abia State, let’s separate the individual from the state, let’s do it in such a way that investors will still locate Abia State and find our beloved state worthy for investment. Let’s be civil about it.
Heading the media of one the most popular governorship candidate in 2015, l was equally harder harassing or pointing fault fingers at Okezie Ikpeazu throughout his first tenure, which till date, l still believe was nothing to write home about. It was all about litigations and l contributed my quota in making sure he remained distracted, l was hurting my state, thinking l was hurting an individual. Will you really blame me? It was the politics of the day, l just couldn’t rise above primitive thinking, my selfishness for my mentor to go into office was all that blinded. Some people are still making that mistake today, so as you can see, l have advanced. Lol
Then came the 2019 election, I didn’t spear him either for l saw no reason why he should be given a second chance. Well, he second chance he gets and at the initial stage it was like it is going to be the same lame duck governor. Moreover, since our governors hardly perform well on second tenure.
Nwa Aba who inherited Aba in total ruins doesn’t want to do something about Aba, as he promised. I was boiling with madness inside me. Aba started collapsing as result of poor road network, all the entrance to Aba was unmotorable. Invite a babe to Aba she will complain about the road and the environment, Ol boy, guys have to book flights, book hotels and spend triple to just go chop babes.
All these maddened the hearts of many and they fearlessly stormed the social space and started tearing this government apart. Everyday you get stories tagging the Osisioma flyover a center table. Funny funny theories were made out it. And, you won’t fault them.
Then COVID-19 came and l though it was all over.
Then gradually, the roads started to spring up, but initially when the were announced after executive council meeting, it sounded like a fairy tale. 2 face Baba will say they want to tell us another story.
But like play like play Faulks road one of the most important roads in Aba that remained impossible to navigate for over 20 years was dualized. Like play like play, Okezie added street lights to the road. Like play like play after being abandoned for over 30 years, work started at Port Harcourt road. Like play like play the massive refuse dumps littered across Enyimba City started disappearing. Like play like play the water ways were emptied and instead of the traditional abandoning the refuse as we are used to, they empty it and removed it with immediate effect.
At first, we tagged all these as project devised to steal money, which they will not complete. But the completion of the projects wasn’t just a reality, it came delivered with top quality that will last.
Then he went back to the abandoned Osisioma Interchange (Flyover), that was even tagged one year one pillar project. The work went on full speed, then the criticism changed. It wasn’t a center table again, it was about Wike and Ebonyi constructing more flyovers. Well, that’s undebatable. That to me simply means Okezie needs to do more, but before then let’s acknowledge this one he has done, which no one thought of before. You need to visit the site, you will marvel.
Then the Reconstruction of Aba-Owerri Road, Aba (Segment 2) started in earnest. Please don’t blame those who were hard on him over that road, the Okezie administration has no excuse to take this long in working on the road. No excuse at all. Forget what this penny penny social media jesters will tell you.
Then like a miracle show out of the blues after being abandoned for over 20 years the Reconstruction of Osusu Road, Aba started and was completed and delivered. Top quality.
Then the Reconstruction of Milverton Road, Aba one of the busiest park zones in the country started. That’s where all the luxurious buses and buses that go to Lagos, Abuja and what have you are stationed. The road was horrible to pass. Then it was delivered. Top quality too. then Palliative maintenance work along Ikot-Ekpene Road, Aba started and it helped to widen the road and since then the persistent accident that happens there, which they tagged that the mummy water of Aba River was looking for blood stopped. That mummy water must be dying of blood thirsty now. Lol.
Like play like play the Reconstruction of Ohanku Road, Aba that has been abandoned for only God will remember years started. Then, unbelievable, the Reconstruction of Obohia Road (Aba South/Ukwa East) started too. To crown it all, the Reconstruction of the famous Ngwa Road, Aba started too. Then just visit Ururuka Road, Aba you will marvel at the beauty of the road, the street light and the beautification of the road with flowers and trees. Remind me that the road less to Okezie Ikpeazu home town, l will remind you that his home town is in Abia.
Then the Construction of Umuene-Obikabia Road, Isiala Ngwa South started and has been delivered. Again the Reconstruction of Mgboko – Okpu Umuobo Road, Aba started and is still on going. From there they went to Immaculate Avenue, Aba and continued with their road miracle. The Reconstruction of Umuojima – Ekeakpara Express Road, Osisioma took off too. They equally started the Reconstruction of Osisioma –Ekeakpara Federal road, Aba. But here the work has stopped at the Adielu junction and l thought it needs rapid attention because that’s where you have the NNPC Depot in Aba that feeds most Eastern states. Oil tanker were falling on the roads last year, it will be disaster if it catches fire, because it’s a high residential area.
Serious work also started at the Ahaba-Umueze (ABSUTH) Road, Aba
By then the criticism has started to fade gradually, critics started looking for new fault lines instead of being courageous enough to at least acknowledge what is on ground and demand for more. They started circulating video and pictures of Umahi’s works at Ebonyi State and Wikes spectacular flyovers. These are all true, only the governors turncoat praise singers will try to excuse that. It simply means that Okezie needs to do more.
Again, thanks to critics Okezie again embarrassed on Reconstruction of Ikputu-Nbawsi Road, Isiala Ngwa South,
Reconstruction of Mbubo – Azuiyi Oloko – Umuakwu Road, Isiala Ngwa North/Ikwuano,
Reconstruction of cluster of Umuobiakwa internal roads, Construction of Ntalakwu – Ikwuano Road, Ikwuano LGA, Re-asphalting of segments of Aba Road, Umuahia, Construction of internal roads at Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, Construction of Umuopara Ring Road, Construction of Agbama Housing Estate ring road, Umuahia, Construction of Isuochi Nneato Road, Completion of Eze Kanu Road Spur, Afara Ukwu, Umuahia, Construction of Afara Nta Road, Umuahia, Construction of Mgbarakuma Road, Umuahia, Reconstruction of selected internal roads in Amuzukwu, Umuahia, and Uratta-Obingwu-Umuezeke-Umuekechi-Obokwe Ugwatti road, Ukwa West.
Now, these are but mentioned just some of the roads he did within his second tenure. Though l tagged his first tenure a failure and justified the criticism that followed, which l speared headed, truth be told, he did a lot of roads too then.
So, l encourage our critics not to give because their voices are gradually being suppressed with factual evidence of works going on in Aba especially. Don’t let Okezie Ikpeazu turning Aba into one giant construction site like the time of Dee Mbakwe stop you from criticizing him. Biko criticism is good for every society, it helps to keep the leaders on their toes.
Okezie may have tried, but we want him not to relax, he must keep on trying, so dust your pen from where his achievements made you to throw them, let’s keep on criticising him.
For me, having been so hard on him, l have this burden to let the world know that my criticism of my governor brought a positive change to my state.
Most importantly, our criticism which brought these positive developments has stated attracting positive economic dividends to the state. We are now third on the investment index. By August, Geometrics will take off and power will be steady in power. You see why investors are rushing to town. Kilimanjaro, Chicken Republic, Dominos Pizza, Crunches are opening branches like it’s going out of fashion, Queens Pot has open her first branch in Aba. Then the icing of the cake. My friends Chiedozie Njoku is rounding up a mini Dubai shopping Mall at the old Etche Road field. Rush and get your space now. The lost glory of Enyimba City is back.
Uzoamaka Ezerioha- Anyansi rush tell your husband Ayansi Agwu the Enyimba Chairman that we will once more fill the stadium after the COVID is over. Let him continue to bring us glory.
Umu Igbo Worldwide follow me chant.
Nzogbu! Nzogbu!! Enyimba Enjoying!!!
