As Abia State governor, Dr.
Okezie Ikpeazu enters the second week in office, there are growing
concerns over enormous challenges to be tackled.
By Ugochukwu alaribe
There are high expectations that Ikpeazu would translate his many pledges into rapid development of the state.
The new governor had at his inauguration in Umuahia pledged to provide good roads, quality education, good health care system, regeneration of Aba, address infrastructural challenges, encourage increased private sector participation in the economy, and create industrial hubs among others.
These plausible promises topped Ikpeazu’s inaugural speech.
However, some reckon that the pledges are nothing but familiar rhetorics given the failure of past administrations at tackling the numerous challenges confronting the state.
Though Ikpeazu has hit the ground running by flagging off the rehabilitation of roads in Aba, residents of the city have cautioned against constructing poor quality roads.
To achieve this, Ikpeazu must have to embark on desilting of drainages, particularly the drainage channel which connects several parts of the city and empties into the Aba River.
This drainage which was desilted in 2011 by the immediate past administration, had since been blocked by refuse leading to flooding whenever it rains.
On waste management, the governor certainly has an uphill task as the
management of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency ,ASEPA,
appears overwhelmed by the high volume of refuse in Aba where refuse
heaps dot the landscape.
An aide of the governor, who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that arrangements have been concluded to evacuate 100 trucks of refuse daily from the streets.
Perhaps, that is in line with the governor’s pledge of declaring a state of emergency on waste management in Aba.
He had said: “If we can go to peoples houses with a compactor to collect refuse, all the buckets located along the road will disappear. There will be no more refuse on the roads.”
To make the job of changing the face of Aba easy, Ikpeazu had during an interactive session with residents organized by the Kezie Abia Group, urged the residents to make sacrifices in the interest of the state.
He accused some of desiring change while their shops are sited on drainage channels.
“They want to make omelette, but don’t want to break eggs,” he quipped.
Instructively, Ikpeazu would be judged in the next four years by how well he is able to transform Aba.
The governor is also expected to tackle the problem of multiple taxation, as such has increased the cost of doing business in the state.
In Abia, it is a common sight to see task force teams and touts harass businessmen and residents over various forms of levies and taxes.
Such taxes and levies include infrastructure levy, sanitation levy, fire extinguisher levy, economic levy, ICT levy, among others.
Ikpeazu is also faced with litigations arising from the 2015 governorship election in the state.
In this regard are suits filed before the Justice Mohammed Wakili led Election Petition Tribunal by the gubernatorial candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and All Progressives Congress, APC, Messrs. Alex Otti and Nyerere Anyim.
While Otti seeks the cancellation of the results from Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa North local governments , Anyim wants the result cancelled in totality on the grounds of rigging.
The governor is also battling with an alleged tax forgery suit filed against by Chief Friday Nwosu and Dr. Uche Ogah.
There are signs that the governor may have a running battle with the legislative arm of government where the PDP has 12 members while APGA boasts of 11.
The reaction of APGA to the postponement of the inauguration of the House earlier scheduled for June 8, could be likened as an insight into what to expect.
By Ugochukwu alaribe
There are high expectations that Ikpeazu would translate his many pledges into rapid development of the state.
The new governor had at his inauguration in Umuahia pledged to provide good roads, quality education, good health care system, regeneration of Aba, address infrastructural challenges, encourage increased private sector participation in the economy, and create industrial hubs among others.
These plausible promises topped Ikpeazu’s inaugural speech.
However, some reckon that the pledges are nothing but familiar rhetorics given the failure of past administrations at tackling the numerous challenges confronting the state.
Though Ikpeazu has hit the ground running by flagging off the rehabilitation of roads in Aba, residents of the city have cautioned against constructing poor quality roads.
To achieve this, Ikpeazu must have to embark on desilting of drainages, particularly the drainage channel which connects several parts of the city and empties into the Aba River.
This drainage which was desilted in 2011 by the immediate past administration, had since been blocked by refuse leading to flooding whenever it rains.
Okezie Ikpeazu
An aide of the governor, who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that arrangements have been concluded to evacuate 100 trucks of refuse daily from the streets.
Perhaps, that is in line with the governor’s pledge of declaring a state of emergency on waste management in Aba.
He had said: “If we can go to peoples houses with a compactor to collect refuse, all the buckets located along the road will disappear. There will be no more refuse on the roads.”
To make the job of changing the face of Aba easy, Ikpeazu had during an interactive session with residents organized by the Kezie Abia Group, urged the residents to make sacrifices in the interest of the state.
He accused some of desiring change while their shops are sited on drainage channels.
“They want to make omelette, but don’t want to break eggs,” he quipped.
Instructively, Ikpeazu would be judged in the next four years by how well he is able to transform Aba.
The governor is also expected to tackle the problem of multiple taxation, as such has increased the cost of doing business in the state.
In Abia, it is a common sight to see task force teams and touts harass businessmen and residents over various forms of levies and taxes.
Such taxes and levies include infrastructure levy, sanitation levy, fire extinguisher levy, economic levy, ICT levy, among others.
Ikpeazu is also faced with litigations arising from the 2015 governorship election in the state.
In this regard are suits filed before the Justice Mohammed Wakili led Election Petition Tribunal by the gubernatorial candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and All Progressives Congress, APC, Messrs. Alex Otti and Nyerere Anyim.
While Otti seeks the cancellation of the results from Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa North local governments , Anyim wants the result cancelled in totality on the grounds of rigging.
The governor is also battling with an alleged tax forgery suit filed against by Chief Friday Nwosu and Dr. Uche Ogah.
There are signs that the governor may have a running battle with the legislative arm of government where the PDP has 12 members while APGA boasts of 11.
The reaction of APGA to the postponement of the inauguration of the House earlier scheduled for June 8, could be likened as an insight into what to expect.
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