By Emmanuel Achilihu
In public service, one word that is often preached but rarely practiced is transparency. Many office holders mouth it during campaigns, but once in office, they build a wall of secrecy around governance.
This is why the recent call by the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Chief Eric Opah, deserves more than a passing attention.
Chief Opah has consistently harped on transparency as the cornerstone of good governance. Recently, he took it a step further by calling on all residents of Abia State to go out and verify all projects the current administration of Governor Alex Otti claims to have embarked upon.
On the surface, it may sound like a political statement. But if we interrogate it deeply, it is the very definition of democracy in action.
What is Chief Opah really saying?
He is saying that government should not be about media razzmatazz and press releases. He is saying that governance must be seen, touched, and felt by the people. He is saying that if a road is said to have been constructed, Abians should be able to drive through it. If a school is said to have been renovated, parents in that community should attest to it. If a hospital is said to have been equipped, patients should feel the impact.
That is what transparency means.
For too long, public office holders in Nigeria have fed citizens with figures and images that exist only on social media. Budgets are read, billions are announced, but on ground, there is nothing to show for it. Opah’s challenge is therefore a direct attack on this culture of opacity.
Governor Otti’s administration has made claims of massive infrastructural revolution. While some are visible, it is the duty of citizens in a democracy to interrogate such claims. And that is exactly what Chief Eric Opah is advocating — citizen-led accountability.
Transparency is not an attack on government; it is what strengthens government. When people verify and confirm projects, it builds trust. When there are gaps, it gives government opportunity to do better. No serious government should be afraid of verification.
Chief Opah, by this singular call, has set a new standard for opposition politics in Abia. It is not about insults or propaganda. It is about putting the facts before the people and allowing the people to be the judge.
This has been lacking among public office holders. Many want to be praised without being questioned. But democracy does not work that way.
If Abians heed Opah’s call and begin to verify projects in their own villages and local governments, our democracy will be richer for it. It will mean that power has truly returned to the people.
And that is the essence of transparency.
Emmanuel Achilihu writes from Amada in Isiala Ngwa South.
Opah’s Transparency Challenge: Why Every Abian Must Verify Otti’s Projects
