Abia State government is laying strong foundation towards a sustainable economic growth -Obinna Oriaku

ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT IS LAYING STRONG FOUNDATION TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH - OBINNA ORIAKU

The monoculture nature of the national economy and lack of commitment to focused development strategies on the part of the political elites of the yesteryears are some factors responsible for Nigeria’s current economic crunches.

Howbeit, the current Abia State government under the leadership of governor Okezie Ikpeazu is laying the strong foundation geared towards attaining a sustainable economic growth in spite of mounting challenges.

Addressing newsmen in his office, Mr. Obinna Oriaku the Abia State commissioner for finance made awesome revelations on the landmark  achievements of the Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu led administration within one year in office touching the five pillars of the Abia State government and others.

Excerpt:
Abia State is presently running a very frugal government but we are committed to change the narrative of the State. The very first month this administration came into power, our receipt from the federal government that month was N3.2 billion but for the previous month; April 2016, it went down the slope to N1.7 billion. So for as a government that has come to improve the fortunes of our people, we are challenged in many fronts. Some of our challenges ranges from infrastructure, education, health, trade and commerce, Agriculture and all what not. So we needed to improve in all those areas.

Sector by sector analysis, if you look at the infrastructure we have put in place, I stand to be challenged that this administration is the only state that have been able to complete and commissioned twenty seven (27) out of the sixty five (65) roads not excluding three (3) bridges it started since inception. We also have about 5 roads at the verge of completion and to be commissioned probably by next week bringing to the number of completed roads to about 32. Of course road construction is too important to this administration that it takes about sixty per cent (60%) of our capital expenditure.

We built some of the road with cement technology. This is one of the technologies used globally which guarantees high durability standard. The roads are not left without drainage system, streetlight and walkways. So we are cheerful that most of the things that happens in the most developed cities in Nigeria; Lagos and Abuja to be precise are gradually creeping into Abia State. Very heartwarming that at night our streetlights are lite thereby encouraging nightlife devoid of crime activities.

We have equally brought good names such as Arab contractors and Setraco to move into site. The Arab contractors will be handling the reconstruction of a 2.6m Ubakala road that was flagged off recently by the Governor while Setraco will be handling the Faulks road to bring to end the ravaging flooding in that area and restore the aesthetic value of the state. These things are happening in Abia when other States could justifying their inactions because of the depreciating allocation. The question one has to ask is what is that magic?

AGRICULTURE.

The discovery and total attention on the crude in Nigeria crippled the Agricultural sector. However, the visionary governor Abia State see agriculture as and antidote to revive the tottering economy.

Recall that Abia State used to be the number six largest producer of Cocoa when agriculture was the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. It is also on record that the Malasia which is the largest export of palm produce in the world today got their seedling from here. We had a boom in other areas like cashew in Isukwuato and Arochukwu, large rubber production in Arochukwu and Akwuette, rice in uzuakoli, cassava and lots more.

Inasmuch as we may not have the vast land as obtainable in Borno, we may not have to farm like they do. So we are looking at areas we have comparative advantage on. We want to reinvent those old days. We have taken analysis of those products that will improve our source of livelihood and generate employment for our youths through its value chain; moving away from subsisting to commercial agriculture.

Palm production is one of the key focus of the government. The state is partnering with corporative societies and business magnets who wants to invest in agriculture to plant hundreds of thousands of palm seedling already made available in the state. These are the kind of seedlings that starts fruiting in less than three years.

Recently the State government launched a program through the office of the Special Assistant to the Governor and Project Director of the Abia Youth Employment in Agriculture Mr. Obinna Ibiam which is geared towards getting young people engaged in productive and commercial farming. The youths are currently undergoing training in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in various field such as Cocoa, cassava and palm oil production and processing. Fishery, piggery, and poultry management; snail, grass cutter and cattle rearing and many other Agricultural activities are ongoing now. The trained will be assisted with small and soft loans to start up commercial farming which will engender massive food production.

Put differently, the state have intervened in poultry business by establishing poultry villages in the three senatorial zones in the state. This is a kind of integrated farming where the centers will accommodate all process of poultry farming from hatchery to laying of eggs. Whatever needed on poultry will be provided at the center.

The central bank of Nigeria is matchmaking Abia with some experts on greenhouse farming from Israel. We are exploring the green house instrumentality in the area of vegetable production like tomatoes, garbage, watermelon etc. These Israelis have been able to help the farming system in Taraba State to the extent of the state exporting their produce. So we are leveraging on that. Abia State is prioritizing agricultural products with value chain and global comparative advantage. 

EDUCATION.

Education is pivotal to the development of any society and Abia State has continued to score very high in putting the machineries in place in that sector.  As a government, we are focused in making sure that our education institutions comes up top. The result of our input in the section is a culmination of best students being produced in the state institutions which has done us proud nationwide. Recently Abia state produced the best graduating student at law school.

The governor on assumption of office selected result-driven individuals to form his cabinet. One of such individuals is the commissioner for education, Prof. Ikechi Mgbeoji, a renowned professor of international and lecturer at Oswood Law School, Canada.

Within this one year the commissioner looked into the structures first and having in mind that a conducive learning environment boosts the morale of both the teachers and students swung into rehabilitating the schools in the state. The reconstruction which is ongoing has captured about fourteen 14 schools with borehole and toilet faculties. The ministry has also set up Abia State mathematical center to improve the content delivery in the mathematics.

The governor is not happy seeing people coming out of school just to add up to the number in the street doing nothing. This is why the ministry of education introduced entrepreneurship education which has in it's basket, skill acquisition into the curriculum of the tertiary institutions in the state to discourage youths being stranded after leaving school.

Just a couple of days back, an Australian base non-government organization led by Vivian Peter came to the state and trained the primary school teachers on the new technologies of teaching to conform with the global practices.  They will be establishing computer centers in the three senatorial zones in the state. This program is aimed at equipping the child early on the use of computer and electronic other gadget.

HEALTH.

We have a huge challenge in the health sector but the state is not relenting in solving those problems. This is not unconnected with why the governor had to invite Dr. John Ahuama to come and help fix these issues. I believe Dr. Ahuama is here on humanitarian/missionary journey to have left his comfort zone; Scotland where he is practicing.

We have identified good number of hospitals in the three senatorial zone in the state. We have discovered that most of the medical workers in those hospitals are not living close to them. So it becomes a huge challenge when there is an emergency situation.

Having identified that, the state government started putting up residential building for the medial workers within the hospitals to accommodate them. We are also equipping these hospitals to march the current technologies in the world.

The government has approved fund for the final stage the construction of (4) 100 bed general hospitals located at Arochukwu, Obingwa, Okikpe and Ukwa west and approved for engament, professional healthcare workers for effective and efficient healthcare delivery. The Abia State teaching hospital has also seen the light on infrastructural development. Funds have been approved to improve on the Paediatric, Gynecology, Radiology and surgery departments of the school.

That notwithstanding, the state government have been carrying out staff auditing of some of these establishments with over blotted workforce and have been able to fish out those who are workers by name but not in attendance. This have simply saved the State a huge cost of paying non-existing workers. The exercise is still on going because we keep finding out irregularities day-by-day.

OIL AND GAS

Recently the Abia State Government inaugurated the State's mineral resources a environmental management committee with a charge to ensure best practices in the explorations of solid mineral deposits in the State. This committee will explore the possibility of partnering with the federal government and other National and international agencies engaged in solid mineral development.

The committee is equally embedded with the responsibility of making recommendations that will allow Abia State government benefit maximally from solid mineral exploration in the State.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT.

Abia State is known for trade and commerce. Those who had come across Abia in the past still have nostalgic feeling of how Abia, Aba to be precise was. So with the strategies in place including the fixing of the roads and improving on the security, a good number of businesses which had hitherto left the state are now coming back gradually.

The government is ensuring that private investors come to the State and have some ease and respite in setting up their industries and businesses. We have build a one stop shop for all business enquires, business registrations acquisition of lands etc which the secretariat is opposite the secretariat.

In the next couple of days we will be hosting the bank of industry managing director. They actually know that Aba is the nexus for businesses especially the SMEs. Aba is blessed with indigenous talents so our synergy with BOI is to help improve on what we have and bring more investors in the state.

I must reiterate that Abia is strategic to the development of this country. Out of about fourteen (14) States of the federation that applied to the African Development Bank (ADB) for business development, Abia and Abuja are the only States the ADB approved to do business with. Those underscores how important Abia is and as well the reason the geometric mounted their machines in Aba to enable Aba generate at least eighteen (18) hours uninterrupted electricity power supply. They know that Aba is the key to industrial revolution in the country. So we are taking advantage of that to make sure that our people will benefit from the our synergy with BOI and ADB. You will be surprised to see what will be happening in Aba when these things crystalizes properly.

We are trying to create market for our products beyond Nigeria and the west cost. To this effect, the State government has to set up Abia state marketing board embedded with the responsibility of ensuring a better quality and standard products of made in Aba. Another thing the board is doing is packaging of those products. You will agree with me the the ONLY DIFFERENCE between leather works done in Aba and Dubai is just packaging.  We have been coaching our people on that to make them know that our products are acceptable in the market if we package them well.

Recall that the Governor took some leather makers to Turkey some months ago to learn how to operate some of the world class machines used in assembling leather. We have brought the idea down home with the new technologies and machines now at the common facility and technology center in Aba. That is where the training is going on now.

Also, the state has started revamping the moribund industries in Abia. The international glass industry in Aba has started full operation after it was abandoned for many years. The golden guinea breweries which has installed double production capacity machines will kick off very soon. We are looking at bringing the Standard plastic industry (Standpol) and many others back to life in a very short while.

If  I may digress from the five pillars of the government, we have been able to manage our internally generated revenue well. We have been able to harmonize the taxes and levies through the establishment of  one central tax system. The state have been able to enumerate the total businesses being run in the state. This will help grow the IGR. It is true that our people are not known for paying taxes but with what we are doing, fixing the infrastructures  and our commitments to do more, we hopefully will see our people paying taxes.

We have also established a centrally controlled pay rolling of staff and pensioners which has reduced to the barest minimum, incidents of salary padding and other associated sharp practices in pay rolling.

We have been able to build a strong institutions. Parastatals are to be subverted and not always spoon fed. With the charge we have given to the parastatals, Abia State University is now running a model we appreciate. They don't come cap-in-hand begging for money. I know with time others will follow suit.

On direct employment the governor set up TIMAAS in Abia State. TIMAAS trained and kitted over five hundred youths who were directly employed to work with TIMAAS. If you take cognizance of what is happening in the State now you will observe that the vehicular and traffic challenges that we used to have in our majors cities of Aba and Umuahia have reduced drastically. We are now having better road usage.

I must tell you that when we look back in the last one year, we have all reasons to thank God for having used us to improve the status of the state. Though we may not have done all we promised during the campaign period, to be conservative I score this government over 70% in its bid to keeping to it's promises considering the verifiable things the government has put in place so far.