That Abians have suffered a lot in the hands of her leaders is no exaggeration. Abia which has her name anchored on the Bible, has continued to go down the drains while her leaders continue to pay lip service and act in a manner that suggests all is well with the State and her citizenry.
Of a truth, one would expect that having been anchored on the scripture right from creation, things ought to be different. Regrettably, States that did not have such privilege of having their names cited in the scripture, are developing massively while their citizenry smile almost on daily basis for being indigenes of such flourishing states and delivering dividends of democracy to her people.
Journeying from Aba, Umuahia, down to the hinterlands of the State, one would observe at a glance the level of infrastructural deficit and decay in the State. This has further made Abia look like a state that is landlocked. Indeed looking at these bad scenes, poor infrastructure among others in the State, there is no gainsaying the fact that Abians need commendation for happily going about their normal businesses amid bad roads and poor infrastructure.
Abians particularly those domiciled in Aba, spend minutes, if not hours passing through a place like waterside especially on a busy Tuesday morning. Same experience is encountered by someone heading towards shopping centre passing through the Aba/Owerri road. If that is the case, what is the fate of another traveller or passenger on Aba/Owerri road along Umungasi? Definitely the comments that come out of these passengers is usually “God, whom did we offend? Our leaders in Abia have no conscience among other submissions.
A trader in Aba that leaves early in the morning, can never cease to recount the experiences encountered before getting to his/her place of business. The poor infrastructural decay in Aba and her environs is further compounded on rainy days. If a passerby in Aba complains of poor road, bad scenes, what will a trader in Aba doing business around Cemetery, Faulks road, Port Harcourt road, Tonimas, Ariaria, Ahia Ngwo among others complain of? What also would a passenger passing through the ongoing constructed “Osisioma flyover” say considering the bad roads around the area?
Indeed, without mincing words and without politicising the issue, Abia, God’s own State in it’s entirety, is in a mess. What joy can one derive from a city or town without good infrastructure viz a vis good road network, basic amenities, among other essentials of life? Abia is almost carrying last in everything which is in contrast to states like Ebonyi of yesterday, Akwa Ibom, Rivers.
To Abians who ask pertinent questions as to whom they offended and why the backwardness in the State? The answer is not far-fetched, it can be posited in a very conspicuous and glaring manner that Abia has been unfortunate in terms of leadership that can change the narratives of the State and bring the State at par with States in the federation whose leaders actually know what it means to give their respective states a facelift.
In which aspect is the State doing well? The non-payment of salaries, sycophancy? That is matter for another day.
But the truth remains that Abians deserve commendation for plying and closing their eyes to the poor road network and other infrastructural deficits witnessed in the State. It then behoves on the present administration to give Abia a facelift by hitting the ground running and improving the infrastructural decay despite having limited time.
Abians deserve to share same dividends of democracy her counterparts in other States enjoy. They shouldn’t be treated as if they offended God and those in power. Their patience should not be taken for granted as they shall wake up one day to revolt because they have endured and persevered for so long.
Long Live Abia State, Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(Written By Izuchukwu Nwokoma, a Journalist and Public Affairs Analyst).
