Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of education, says Alex
Otti, governor of Abia, “has all it takes” to beat the governance record of the
late Micheal Okpara in the state.
Ezekwesili spoke on Tuesday while delivering the keynote
lecture at the 32nd Abia Day celebration held at the International Conference
Centre, Umuahia, the state’s capital.
The late Okpara hailed from Umuahia and became the premier
of the then-Eastern region of Nigeria during the First Republic from 1959 till
its termination in 1966.
Ezekwesili said Okpara “did well in transforming” Abia “to a
viable economic base” during his tenure, adding that Otti is equipped to take
the baton further.
She added that the “opportunity is already there” in the
state and “what Abia needs is a business environment”.
The former minister said sound government policies that have
roots in human capacity development “will turn the fortunes of Abia around
within the shortest possible period”.
“Think of when this commercial city of Ariaria market where
young men and women produce in large quantity all sorts of footwear, clothes,
cotton, blinds and several other items, are given adequate attention by the government
by providing them with technological tools to aid production,” Ezekwesili said.
“Some of these items
are produced manually, yet one cannot differentiate them from the foreign ones.
Abia abounds in talented people whose skills need to be enhanced.
“China was nowhere in the last 40 years, but the country now
has a strong economic base that is competing favourably with that of America.
“The problem in Nigeria is a leadership problem and will
only be solved by the leaders. Once there is an improvement in the leadership
style of the country, every other thing will follow.
“Abia had produced great men. Late Dr Michael Okpara is from
Abia state and did well in transforming the state into a viable economic base.
I believe Alex Otti has all it takes to beat his records.”
Ezekwesili called on the south-east governors to tackle the
security challenge in the region for growth to flourish.
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