Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said that good governance must be made to take root, nurtured and translated to improved welfare of the people so that the message of Easter would find real meaning in their lives.
He stated this in his maiden Easter message to the people of Abia since he assumed office, to mark the 2024 celebration of the sacrificial death and triumphal resurrection of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind.
In the message he entitled “To live the ideals of the risen Christ”, Otti insisted that “no sacrifice is too big” to be made in order to improve the lives of the people, hence the welfare of the masses must take precedence.
He argued that if Christ could empty himself to save humanity form eternal damnation, no sacrifice should be considered “too big” to improve the lives of the very people for whom Jesus died.”
According to him, the programmes and projects of his administration have been anchored on enhancing the welfare of the people thereby reflecting the ideals of the risen Christ.
“Our objective is always clear: to improve the lot of the average person who lives or does business in Abia,” he said.
To buttress his claims, the governor cited the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction of long-abandoned roads, resetting of the healthcare delivery system, improved security of life and property, and the prompt payment of salaries and pensions.
He reminded the people of Abia that “we have a State to build and we can do so much by leveraging whatever legitimate opportunities are available to us, wherever we find ourselves to support our people here”.
Otti further emphasised the welfarist disposition of his administration by keeping his promise to clear the backlog of pension arrears he inherited from his predecessors, some dating back to 2014.
He said: “Just three days ago, we fulfilled a very important promise made to our senior citizens at various campaign stops (in 2023) and repeated with firm assurance in the early days of this administration.
“I am glad that we have fulfilled that solemn promise, making it possible for thousands of pensioners and their families to celebrate this year’s Easter in joy, satisfied that what they worked for, their genuine entitlements, which had been delayed for years through no fault of theirs, has finally been offset.”
But he was quick to point out that paying people their entitlements should not ordinarily elicit excitement but given that “this most basic of obligations was neglected for years, the palpable joy on the faces of our senior citizens is understandable”.
The Abia governor reiterated his vow that never again would Abia retirees be subjected to the harrowing experience of unpaid pensions after toiling for the state in their productive years.
“I have since directed that full pensions must be paid on or before the 28th of every month, the very same day civil servants in the state get their salaries.
“As a rule, political office holders will only be paid after our obligations to our senior citizens and civil servants have been fulfilled, in full,” Governor Otti assured both workers and pensioners.
He said that his government’s commitment on prompt and regular payment of government employees and retirees by the 28th of every month was aimed at helping individuals and families on fixed income to plan ahead.
While wishing Ndi Abia happy Easter celebration, Otti assured them of his determination to put dormant economic assets to effective use and ultimately, reduce the incidence of poverty for the masses while creating genuine wealth for investors”.
