By: Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has charged Igbo leaders to remain focus and always stand bold to truth, stating that it will give the needed directives to enable the younger people learn and surpass their achievements.
Governor Otti, gave this charge over the weekend while receiving in audience a delegation of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, led by its President, Professor Elochukwu Amuchiazi who called on him in his office.
The Governor said that his administration has remained focused on changing the narratives and restoring the dignity of Abia people in the past 2 years.
“For us here, we have been focused in the last two years just to recover our State, and restore the dignity of our people.
“I want to encourage you to continue with what you are doing. You are our leaders. We need to continue to speak out and give direction.
“People may not actually know the direction to go. The leadership you provide is very, very important, Gov. Otti stated.
While responding to issues of security in the South East as raised by the group, Governor Otti said that his administration has been doing a lot in that regard, pointing out that the Abia State Security Trust Fund Luncheon held on Thursday 10th July 2025 was intended to raise enough funds to support his crime prevention plans and strategy to continue making Abia safer and secured.
He noted that a lot of progress have been recorded in the fight against crime across the State, noting that he has taken giant steps towards job creation, instituting conducive business environment among others as a responsive and proactive approach towards achieving a crime free society.
“Coincidentally, yesterday we had a fundraising for the Abia Security Trust Fund.
“We kept it until now, because we wanted to, at least, put some things on the ground for people to know that we are serious. Of course, when we came here in 2023, some towns (Umunneochi & Isuikwuato) in the State were actually taken over by bandits.
“It became a big challenge. We said it will not happen. We fought to reclaim those places. Today, people can easily go home without fear of molestation and attack. But you know how security is.
“If you can create an environment for businesses to thrive, create jobs by encouraging investments, then you will continue to reduce the number of people available for crime and criminality by giving them jobs.
“Most times, you find that people who are recruited into banditry, kidnapping and all sorts of violent crimes are jobless. It is difficult to find somebody who has a fairly good job to also be a criminal at the same time.” Gov. Otti stated.
He thanked the group for their relentless efforts in championing the Igbo project and urged them to make their wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise available for the service of the Igbo nation.
Earlier in his speech, the leader of the Delegation, Professor Elochukwu Amuchiazi who said that the group is making case for an Igbo project where the Igbo man would be integrated into the Nigeria nation and allowed to live and actualize their dreams comfortably.
He said that the visit was to discuss with Governor Otti on what he is doing to protect the igbo interest and commended his giant strides and welfare – oriented leadership towards a better Abia.
Contributing, one of the members of the group, Professor Obasi Igwe while appreciating Governor Otti for the ongoing building of the Abia Airport City, said that, their overall interest is to achieve a functional seaport linking South East to the Atlantic Ocean to open the region to greater economic opportunities.
He appealed to the Federal Government to support and fund the dredging of the Imo River down to the coast through Opobo, which was a seaport founded by the Igbos.
“We need that seaport through Opobo, so that ships from all over the world can come into the South-East. That will make a lot of meaning for the reopening of Aba as a business and commercial nerve centre of the South-East.
“Other States can manage with 10 airports. But, just one seaport linking the East to the Atlantic Ocean covers more than a thousand airports.
“Therefore, we are appealing to the Federal Government through the Governor to allow and fund the dredging of the Imo River down to the coast through Opopo, which is an Igbo seaport founded by the Igbos, Prof. Igwe emphasised.