By
Romanus Ike Azuka
Government, in its noblest form, is a sacred trust, ordained to uplift the governed, as John Locke decreed: “The end of government is the good of mankind” ( Two Treaties of Government). In Abia, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti redeems this covenant, reigning as the state’s apotheosis, a sui generis steward whose two years have sculpted a New Abia from the ruins of neglect. With Promethean zeal and an economist’s precision, this hors concurs governor has paved roads and lit skies, transmuting despair into a citadel of hope. As Abraham Lincoln declared, “The best way to predict the future is to create it” ( attributed). Otti, architect of Abia’s destiny, forges a future where faith in governance is reborn. For me, a diaspora son of Anambra whose heart beats for Aba, his feats are a personal redemption. My frequent sojourns in Aba and Port Harcourt; summers lost in Ariaria Market’s frenetic bustle, dodging Ngwa Road’s treacherous craters, navigating nights cloaked in Osisioma’s oppressive darkness, revealed a city strangled by misrule. From abroad, I marvel at Otti’s alchemy, conjuring resources for structural magic that shames Nigeria’s profligate elite. His love for Abians, etched in every asphalt vein and electric pulse, ignites a political awakening, daring us to ask: could Nigeria’s leaders, blessed with abundant means, restore the nation’s glory, yet choose to plunder its soul? Behold the marquee of excellence, a presidential beacon whose legacy restores Aba to glory.
Roads: Paving Pathways to Prosperity
Abia’s roads,once a labyrinth of ruin,now gleam as Otti’s testament to progress. As Nelson Mandela averred, “A leader is like a shepherd…letting the most nimble go out ahead”( Long Walk to Freedom). Otti, Abia’s shepherd, declared a road emergency on May 29, 2023, unleashing a renaissance. Over 40 roads shine anew, with Aba’s Port Harcourt Road—-where my treks to Eziukwu Market and my travels to Port Harcourt faltered amid axle- snapping potholes—-reborn under Julius Berger’s mastery. Cemetery Road, Umuimo Road,and MCC/Old Express Road boast smooth asphalt,while Ossah Road in Umuahia,aglow with solar lights, rivals global capitals. Beyond Aba( my Enyimba City), Umuahia-Uzoakoli and Umuokomiri-Obehie knit communities together. My memories of Ngwa Road, where traders cursed rutted paths, haunt me; Otti’s roads erase that shame. Unlike past Abia governors, whose 24- year PDP reign left 50 roads forsaken, Otti’s 16 rehabilitated and six new projects dazzle. Compared to Nigerian leaders, whose vows dissolve, Otti embodies Machiavelli’s dictate: “A Prince must build on solid foundations”( The Prince). His roads are arteries of commerce, binding Abians to dignity.
Electricity: Illuminating Abia’s Future
Otti’s conquest of darkness crowns Abia a beacon of power. As Ronald Reagan proclaimed, “Government’s first duty is to protect the people”( Inaugural Address,1981), and Malcolm X affirmed, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything”(Speech,1963). Otti stands resolute,protecting Abians from years of darkness through the Abia Electricity Law,seizing 60% of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company’s assets. The Alaojii Power Station revival energizes Aba, while the Geometric Power Plant, ignited February 26, 2024, delivers 141 megawatts to nine local governments. Solar initiatives, like Solar for Health, light hospitals, and Independent grids ensure steady supply. I recall Aba’s nights, where kerosene lanterns cast flickering shadows over Osisioma’s stalls; Otti’s 24-hour power banishes that gloom. Past governors let Aba’s industries wither, but Otti outshines their inertia. Unlike Nigerian incompetent leaders, mired in power quagmires, Otti’s electric pulse is a love letter to Abians, fuelling dreams.
The Alchemy of Resources: A Political Awakening
How does Otti conjure funds for this structural magic? Abia’s revenue soared from N19.8 billion in 2022 to N24 billion in 2023,fueled by transparent e-taxation. He cleared N72 billion in debt, paid arrears,and axed ghost workers, borrowing only for progress. Unlike predecessors who plundered,or Nigerian political leaders whose budgets vanish, Otti heeds Immanuel Kant: “Act so that you treat humanity—-always as an end and never as a means only”( Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals). His fiscal wizardry stuns,raising Rousseau’s query: “Why are the people so often deceived by their leaders?”( The Social Contract). As a boy from Anambra, my frequent sojourns to Aba saw Ariaria’s chaotic stalls, Eziukwu’s traders haggling under dim lamps, Ngwa Road’s ruts jolting my steps; Otti revives those hopes. From abroad, I see his transparency —- publishing budgets,scrapping ex-governors’ pensions—- shame Nigeria’s political elite. Otti’s governance, rooted in love, stirs a political consciousness,echoing Marcus Garvey: “A people without the knowledge of their past…is like a tree without roots”( Philosophy and Opinions). He proves Nigeria’s salvation lies in will, not wealth
Governance: A Meritocratic Maestro
Otti’s meritocracy—- appointing technocrats,irrespective of state of origin,not kin—-defines his administration,unlike Tinubu’s nepotistic plunder. His court, wise and bold, echoes Lee Kuan Yew’s advisors, shaming Nigeria’s political and professional sycophants. His 2023 Road Revolution, rebuilding Port Harcourt Road with Julius Berger, sparked no scandal, unlike Tinubu’s Rivers State charade. Montesquieu’s maxim, “The spirit of moderation should be that of the legislator”( Spirit of the Laws,1748),exalts his integrity. My Anambra heart, stirred by Port Harcourt Road’s beauty, rejoices in his virture, like Trump’s brash accountability.
A Legacy of Glory
Age is no barrier to leadership,for wisdom may crown the old or vigor the young, as history attests. Abia’s governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, a political titan at 60, proves brilliance transcends time. He soars where his Nigerian political contemporaries stumble. Aristotle declared, “Excellence is never an accident”(Nicomachean Ethos); Otti embodies this, his vision a lodestar for Nigeria’s political firmament. Unlike lesser men, he joins political giants like Konrad Adenauer, rebuilding Germany at 87; Lee Kuan Yew, forging Singapore at 42; Javier Milei, slashing Argentina’s deficit at 54; Nayib Bukele, securing El Salvador at 40; Ibrahim Traore, defying empires at 37.
A Legacy of Love and Leadership
Dr. Otti is Abia’s cynosure, his roads and lights a hymn to his people. As Rotimi Amaechi lauded, his works are “incredible”(The Guardian, June 7, 2025). Unlike past governors, whose legacies are potholes, or Nigerian political leaders chasing headlines, Otti builds with purpose, embodying Winston Churchill’s maxim: “Success is not final…it is the courage to continue that counts”(Speech,1941). My Aba memories: Ariaria’s pulse, Eziukwu’s lanes, Osisioma’s dark nights, Nnamdi Azikiwe’s neglected Road—-once spelt decay; Otti’s Abia is glory reborn. His structural magic indicts Nigeria’s political wastrels, proving, as Martin Luther king Jr said, “The ultimate measure of a man is […] where he stands at times of challenge”( Speech,1963). Otti stands tall,a presidential titan, beckoning Nigeria toward a boundless future.
