OF CONVERSATIONS AND PROGRESS
Being the Text of An Address Presented by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, at the Conclusion of the 35th Anniversary Celebration Lecture on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia
Protocol
- Public conversations are indispensable in any democratic environment, they are the vehicle through which ideas travel, they offer the bearers of opinions the platform to disseminate them and invite those who hold contrary viewpoints to bring them forward in order to shape the disposition of the citizens. From Pnyx and Agora in Athens to the Forum in Rome thousands of years ago, open interactions have historically guided the order of public awareness and response to matters of political, social and economic concerns. It offered statesmen like Pericles, Demosthenes and Cicero their path to influence through mastery of the science of persuasion and nuances of logic when engaging compatriots. While it is true that earliest records of public debates have their origin outside our shores, it is also beyond dispute that our traditional society has long institutionalised the culture of decision-making through regular meetings and semi-formal interactions across kindreds, villages and clans where everyone who holds a stake in the land is given the opportunity to share their views and take a position on everything from land ownership to the management of the common purse. The age-old culture of speaking and hearing from everyone before a decision is taken remains foundational to the maintenance of law and order in our local communities till this day.
- It is therefore fitting that on a day like this, 35 years after the creation of our dear State, we gather in a public forum to interact as we plan for the future. There are 2 central takeaways from the choice of public lecture and structured conversations for an occasion of this significance; the first is to remind ourselves that progress is impossible when stakeholders are excluded. The second is the awareness that our journey is only just beginning, even after three and half decades of existence as a distinct political entity.
- Let me specially thank our guest speaker, Chief Osita Chidoka, OFR, for the excellence and depth of his presentation. Thank you most sincerely for doing justice to the topic and for pointing us to that vast sea of possibilities ahead of all of us. I would also like to thank the 2 panels of discussants for providing additional insights on the thoughts provoked by the original presentation. May I specially thank the member representing the good people of Isialangwa North and South Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Honourable Ginger Onwusibe, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, the Honourable Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna, SAN, and the former Chief Judge of the State, Retired Justice Onuoha Kalu Ogwe, for presenting important perspectives that broadened our understanding. I would also like to thank our partners from the private sector led by the former Minister of Power and Chairman/Founder of Geometric Power Limited, Prof. Barth Nnaji, the Group Managing Director of Nepal Group of Companies, Dr Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma, the Honourable Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, FNSE, and Principal Secretary to the Governor/Chief Strategy Officer to Abia State Government, Mr Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu for balancing public sector perspectives with the cautious eyes that guide the allocation of private sector resources. Words of appreciation are also due to all of us, distinguished brothers and sisters, friends of Abia and everyone seated in this auditorium for finding time to join us as we celebrate and reflect on the success and learning points of the past 35 years.
- The New Abia embodies our aspirations as a community of ambitious people. We came to serve on the back of certain expectations that are foundational to our founding vision. As I pointed out in my broadcast earlier in the day, our fathers were driven by the ideals of value creation and collective ownership. The journey to a New Abia will happen across several generations but some interesting developments are beginning to occur. The old culture of indiscriminate disposal of waste has given way to a new system that prioritises individual responsibility. By insisting on competence as the irreducible requirement for appointment and promotion across critical institutions of government, the State is witnessing a quiet but remarkable revolution, one that is gradually tearing down the structures of mediocrity in our public life. On the strength of the progress made in recent years, citizens are now beginning to see infrastructure failure as the exception, not the standard here. In the New Abia, every administration must owe 100% of its loyalty to the people. In that regard, it must serve, create opportunities for prosperity and keep the public safe from the assault of violence and criminality.
- The lesson of today’s interaction is that building a New Abia remains work in progress; we must therefore refuse the temptation of complacency and return to work with a new resolve to multiply our commitment to the project. Our mission is not to achieve everything in a moment but to keep challenging ourselves, pushing the boundaries of possibilities and refusing to rest on the laurels of yesterday. The Athenians and Romans demonstrated that conversations are powerful vehicles for gauging a society’s progress and mapping its future, here at home, we learnt through our regular umunna meetings that we all have a stake in creating the future that we desire. As important as these conversations are, we are invited to be conscious of the truth that words in themselves cannot move the needle, progress is driven by faithful execution, courage in confronting setbacks and faith in our ability to achieve great things through persistence.
- Congratulations to all our people on the 35th birthday of our state.
- Thank you for listening and may God bless you.
