BATTLE FOR ABIA’S GOVERNMENT HOUSE

 Gregory Ibe will make a difference in the lives of the people, writes Boniface Nwufo

One synonymous feature of governorship or presidential aspirants in Nigeria is that while most of them are quick to declare their interests, the individual who finally gets the trophy usually emerge last or from the back stage. Though this cannot be exactly the case with the latest entrant into the Abia State governorship race, Professor Gregory Ibe, as he was on record to have stepped forward in the past to contest the coveted seat with the present Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu but he was prevailed upon by the stakeholders and Abia elders to wait until Okezie finished his term of office.

If the invest-home philosophy is anything to go by, then it can be conveniently said that in the history of Abia State, only Professor Gregory Ibe, who coincidentally is from Abia North Senatorial Zone (by the power rotation principle it is the turn of Abia North) is notable to have established the only private university- Gregory University Uturu, and which has been used to propel the growth and development of the state. The mere fact that he deemed it fit to invest billions of Naira in setting up the institution and to have kept it running over the years symbolises a rare patriotism and love for Abia State, its people and Nigeria generally.

What however is of utmost importance is the zeal and determination of Professor Ibe to use his global business network and acumen to calibrate the rapid development of Abia State in order to meet the needs and aspirations of the industrious Abia people. To achieve this he is propounding the use of education, trade, investments, power, infrastructure, information technology and industries (both cottage and mega industries) to jumpstart the state’s economy. These enablers will also serve as a measurement template with which to judge the performance of his administration.

For too long Abia State has boasted of its abundant potential – both in human capital and natural resources endowment, but the reality is the leadership deficit that has bedevilled the state since its creation on 27 August 1991.

Regrettably while the people are willing and ready, the state is yet to have a leader with the dexterity of Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Mr. Peter Obi or Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State who have used the opportunities provided by their high offices to rejuvenate the hopes and aspirations of their peoples. These leaders came to the thrones with a single-minded determination to make a difference in the lives of their peoples, and in the case of Abia State, Professor Gregory Ibe as a man of ideas possess the innate ability, confidence, creative mind and global exposure to innovate on the developmental trajectory of a new Abia State.

Abia State is in the cusp of becoming a burgeoning economic behemoth if only the right people ascend to the leadership positions, and Professor Ibe who has in the last 22 years used his innovative ideas and international contacts to help the federal government develop a skill-based educational system in the country becomes the governor, there is no doubt that he will make a huge difference in governance of the state. The mere fact that he has built a thriving university in the state will also act as an adrenalin in propelling him to build and bequeath a state to the next generation that is prosperous, secure, industrialised and educationally –advanced.

In the run-up to the Abia State governorship election in 2023, all the aspirants will be held to give account of their stewardship to the people. This stewardship should be rated in terms of investments or projects that each of them has been able to attract to the state for the upliftment of the ordinary people. It is not enough for every Dick and Harry to jump into the fray or seek to govern the state when there is no tangible project or investment he or she has helped to bring home to the people. Such aspiration can only be seen for what it is- crass opportunism.

Above all as a notable professor of entrepreneurship, and Abia State being the biggest host of industrial entrepreneurs in Africa, there is no doubt that as a governor he will lead the way for his people to take their God-given talents, knowledge, wisdom and skill a notch-higher. Simply said Professor Ibe will be in the driving seat to innovate and introduce scientific and knowledge-based entrepreneurships in Abia State, and this will instantly transform the state from a trading centre to a manufacturing hub that can power the economy of the African continent. It is possible for if a man can dream it, then it can be achieved. All what is needed is the will to do it and Professor Ibe possess this in abundance.

As an oil –producing state, if other abundant natural resources of the state are harnessed, along with the enterprising spirit of Abia people there is no doubt that the state will witness a monumental leap in her developmental strides.

So far the immense human and material potentialities of the state remain almost comatose while the state’s infrastructural deficit remains a debilitating factor in the industrial development of Abia State.

While governance is a continuum and despite the enormous challenges besetting Abia state in terms of development, credit must be given to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu who since assumption of office has endeavoured to re-engineer the state in order to work for the whole Abia people, yet the point must be made that there is a need to rally round a new leadership that will take the development of Abia state a notch-higher, and Professor Gregory Ibe fits into the picture.

Nwufo writes from Awka, Anambra State