Albert Eistein, a German Jew and one of the greatest men that ever lived, had a formula he called “The law of Relativity” which is E=MC2. According to him, “E” represents energy, “M” the mass of the substance and “C” the velocity of light.
He went further to opine that a man’s value to the community in which he lives, depends first and foremost on the extent to which his thoughts, actions and sentiments contribute to other individual’s existence.
Going by the above, it is indeed pertinent for Abia and Abians to begin to ponder and ask themselves critical questions as to the kind of person they need to steer the ship of the State come 2023.
Of a truth, Abia has gone beyond theoretical minded people who only studied but never practiced. God’s own state is in dire need of a practical oriented Governor who should be able to initiate programmes and bring them to fruition. We have gone beyond the stage of bringing on board big-counters or sedentary people. Abians are fed up with people whose job descriptions involve moving files from one table to another.
Indeed, Abia is in need of a man who is innovative to the core, one who can run with ideas, a man who is stubborn and dogged to his ideas. Oh yes! Abia needs someone who has demonstrated these acumen in the past just as one who understands how money works, as the world has been commercialised and cannot work roads without money.
Come to think of it, in this era of technological advancement, what do we need sedentary workers for? Abia needs one who can move with technology. Have we ever wondered how much the budget of social media plugging is, like Facebook? Is it not bigger than the budget of Nigeria as a whole? Who says we cannot tap into these innovations in the world and turn the economy around?
There is every need to look inwards, relegate to the background, politics and sentiments and look for one who understands the nitty gritty of development, political economy, entrepreneurship as well as the behaviour of man. There is no gain saying the fact that Abia, God’s own state is blessed with both human and material resources, the missing link is someone who can turn around the situation to a meaningful venture.
Is it not a travesty, for us to say that we have gotten to that level where we cannot make any headway due to the choices we have made in the past? Abia can do N5 billion a month if the right machinery is put on ground. We need dogged, innovative minded people who are industrialists and doing exceptionally well in their areas of specialisation.
In as much as I don’t intend to witch hunt anyone, of a truth, Abia is not running on full speed despite the fact that we are blessed with people with ideas on how to turn stone to glass. We haven’t forgotten that this is a state that boasts of Glass Industry, Modern Ceramics among other industries that require a dogged and innovative person to turn around to the advantage of Abians.
What about the popular Azumiri River that can provide a good tourist site for Abians and people around the globe? Why can’t we join the league of States making good money from Tourism like Cross River State, Akwa Ibom among others. Indeed, we need someone who understands what tourism is because Nigeria and Abia cannot continue to be a mono economy depending on oil even when the price crashes in the international market.
We should ask ourselves what happens if the money that accrues to Abia from the federal account can longer sustain us? Did we not draw any lesson from the COVID-19 era where prices of oil in the global market crashed and we could not make sales through oil? The person we need at this point, is someone who can think out of the box if we are confronted with similar situation going forward.
In all sincerity and judging from events of the past, Abia needs a man who knows chairmen of banks, MDs of banks and can relate with them freely. Abia does not need a man that learns something he is going to do if he acquires power.
It is believed that if Abia is blessed with a dogged, innovative Governor, the state will be great again. It is a clarion call that we relegate politics, sentiment and support a man who has all it takes, knows little of everything so that he can bring on board people like him to change the narratives and bring Abia to the next level of development come 2023.
The time to act is now. Abia shall be great again.
Long live Abia, Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Izuchukwu Nwokoma writes from Umuahia, Abia State.
