Being An Extract of the Press Briefing By the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Abia State Governor, Mr. Godwin Adindu, in his Office in Government House, Umuahia on April 6, 2016.
After 300 days, we are here to review a product and a brand – the Ikpeazu Brand. This brand does not change. This brand will only innovate.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, as a brand, is a consistent brand with a consistent brand proposition. He has kept his word as his bond. He has remained constant and consistent in his precepts and promises. He has remained the common governor for the common man. He has remained the son of a poor teacher. He has remained the servant-leader and the classless humourist. He has not transformed from the commoner to an elite. He has not assumed the new carriage of sophistication and elegance of power and opulence. He demystified power and made it a calling and not a priviledge. He has remained with his constituency – the masses.
The Ikpeazu brand promise is service and performance. This is what he has promised the people of Abia. Today, he is not only addressing the current needs of the people but their future aspiration. This is the hallmark of great brands and this is self-evident in his scorecard of performance in the last 300 days. He has remained connected with the people on a very strong emotional level. And, like every good brand, he is enjoying a fierce brand loyalty. Even his opponents can’t help but admit the truth that he is performing.
The Brand Ikpeazu is a new narrative in the history of Abia State. How is he able to construct 65 roads simultaneously with 27 fully commissioned at a time of severe economic downturn? How is he able to change the face of Aba and the entire Abia in just eight months? How did he do the magic when Abia’s federal allocation is now less than N2 billion? This is the new unresolved puzzle in Abia today. And the brand Ikpeazu would answer that it proceeds from the inner self, from one’s deep convictions and inspirational obsessions because where there’s a will, there’s always a way. The magic is the conviction that his journey is a calling for service and not a priviledge.
The unique selling proposition of Ikpeazu brand is the constant recognition of his trajectory in power as a peculiar covenant. This self-affirmation drives the vision that has found expression in the new approach to governance in Abia State today. How do we characterize or personify the Ikpeazu brand? The brand is selfless, homely, down-to-earth and firm, creative and innovative, a restless mind but a good house-keeper.
Indeed, there are some key tactical actions, worthy of mention, that have helped to shape and form the Ikpeazu brand in the last 300 days and which also helped in the achievement of the new narrative of Abia. In deploying these actions, and when need be, Governor Ikpeazu had no option but to step on toes. But, it was all – “for the general good of Rome”.
These tactical actions include:
First 100 days
1. Establishment of the Office of Aba Urban Renewal
• To drive the new effort towards the infrastructural renewal of the city.
• Ensure that Aba is transformed to a city of basic modern amenities
• Restoring order and sanity in building of shops, kiosk, office and residential buildings
• Drive the new programmes towards the park reform and general rehabilitation work.
• To achieve the goal of Aba as the SME capital of Nigeria
2. Govt Public Finance Restructuring
• Efforts at Harmonization of taxes and levies
• War Against Double taxation
• Eradication of touts and illegal agents in the revenue drive
• Blocking of leakages and drain pipes through which govt finances are siphoned.
3. Domestic Waste Mgt
• Establishment of the Abia State Environmental Support Group(ASEPA Support Club), an environmental Safety Association
• Driving the new ASEPA culture of packaging refuse in refuse bags
• Environmental Education Education in Schools’ Curriculum.
Roland Nwakanma, Chairman, ASEPA, Aba Zone.
4 Made in Aba Campaign
• The governor is the chief brand ambassador of made in Aba goods.
• He has embarked on an aggressive promotion of the Aba Products
• He is setting up Marketing and Standard Regulatory Board to ensure that the Aba entrepreneur is encouraged.
• Clearing of arrears of Salaries
5. Pension Reform and Payment of Pensioners Salaries
• Pensioners have been verified and their pension are being paid straight into their accounts. Settlement of protracted industrial disputes – JUSUN, ABUTH, etc
6 Efforts at Raising the state IGR
• Engaged reputable consultants to harness the huge IGR. The goal is to drive the IGR from N500m monthly to N1.5 billion.
• To be achieved through harmonization and Integrated banking system.
7 Establishment of Abia State Economic Advancement Team (ASEAT)
• Produced a new economic blueprint for the state
• Driving the new economic initiatives
• Setting agenda, drawing the roadmap for the new administration
• Drive the new IGR methodologies
8. Launching of E for E – Education for Employment
• Rolled out a scheme known as Education for Employment
• Seeks to reactivate vocational education in Abia
• Youths have been given aptitude test for this programme
• Rehabilitated for 4 most dilapidated schools in each of the 17 LGAs
200 Days Record
The days were largely days of consolidation of the efforts started in the first 100 days. Some of the roads started in the first 100 days were being commissioned in the second 100 days circle.
9. Zero Tolerance to Potholes
The state started running a programme we call Zero tolerance to potholes. By this, the old roads are constantly being asphalted and resurfaced. This programme is being executed by the state road management agency and it is taking place simultaneously in the two cities of Umuahia and Aba.
Under this project, many roads have been asphalted in Umuahia and completely resurfaced. In Aba, St Micheals Road , Park Road, Kent, Ube and many others were also resurfaced.
10. Establishment of Trade Centres
The Governor established trade centres where the old professions were to be revived. This would be supervised and handled by some Mexicans and Philipinos. The idea is for them to begin to teach Abia children the rudiments of the old craft works like carpentry, masonry, House Wiring so that we can develop a new generation of people who can do things by themselves.
The old artisans will also add some professionalism and education to their trade. These trade centres are also expected to create jobs and empower people with skills
11. Friends of Abia Schools Adoption Initiative (FASAI)
1. The Governor used the occasion of his 51th birthday to launch this pet project to mobilize funds to renovate the dilapidated primary schools in the 17 Local Government Areas of the State.
2. He called on friends to help him give a facelift to primary schools in serious state of dilapidation
3. The aim is to turn around the fortunes of such schools to give the pupils real sense of belonging. Change the environment of the schools.
4. Also called on well-to-do Abians to assist him own pupils of the schools and make the world a better place for them, through sponsorship and infrastructural development of the schools.
12. Aba Industrial Clusters.
Government concluded plans to launch the construction work on the Abia Industrial Clusters starting with Aba.
The Govt is currently procuring equipments needed for the clusters and for the appropriate equipment that can match our standard of technological development.
The aim is to mechanize and automate the process of leather-making and artisanship works in Abia State.
The Aba Industrial Cluster would involve 40,000 shoemakers who are capable of producing 1000 shoes daily.
13. Market Development
Establishment of the Abia State Markets Dev. Committee (ASMDC), a Special Purpose Initiative to restore sanity to all markets in the state.
The state also championed a War Against Street Trading in Aba and relocation of Traders to new sites.
Newly constructed markets were provided with modern conveniences, covered roofs, Police Post, Motor Parks, Fire Service Posts, among others to bring them to international standards
14. NDE Programme
The Govt gave adequate support for the development of the NDE ICT SKILL Acquisition Centre at Osieke in Ugwunagbo LGA of the state. The Governor also followed up by promising to place the first 125 intakes into the scheme on N25,000 monthly stipend. The centre has commenced full traning of youths on different skills.
15. Revitalization of 52 Water Schemes and Installation of Streetlights along roads in Umuahia, Aba and Ohafia and Powering of the new government house and new workers secretariat premises with solar energy
16. Establishment of agencies – (1) Traffic Management Agency. Captures the personality of the new government. We have atleast 200 youngmen working in this agency right now. A collaboration between the state and the Federal Roads Safety Corp. (2 ) There is also the Public Infrastructure Management Agency. A strategy to make sure that touts and those who abuse Government Infrastructure are checkmated. Those who go to remove batteries of the solar lights, steal the armoured cables with which the street lights are being empowered are combated by this agency. Also checkmate the cases of abandoned projects.
17. Salaries and Pensions
We are happy to announce that despite our constraints in the fact that the federal allocation was postponed, the Governor was able to pay workers before Christmas as he promised. Currently, the backlog of salary arreas and pension arrears which the Governor inherited has been cleared.
300 days Scorecard
18. Road Construction.
We are on 65 active roads, constructed simultaneously across the three geopolitical zones of the state with 27 fully commissioned.
19. Agriculture.
The agric sector received government attention in the third quarter of the administration. The state launched The Return to Farming and Women in Fish Farming Initiative. The initiative is aimed at empowering the youths and women by setting up farming cooperatives which will help drive key government policy as regards agriculture. The government through the initiative will make land, finance and training accessible for farmers. The vision is to explore the agric-economy as a support base for the state economy.
Govt is also sourcing N1 billion Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) loan for agricultural revolution.
This loan will be disbursed purely to genuine farmers and not for political patronage. It is connected to the state integrated infrastructural development project aimed at bringing donor agencies and development partners to assist in the development of the state.
20. Revitalization of moribund Industries
This effort has taken the centre stage in the activities of the governor. He started by embarking on an inspection tour of Golden Guinnea Breweries Industry in Umuahia to extract a commitment and an assurance from the investor that the company will come upstream in May this year. Government and the investors are collaborating to achieve this time goal. The governor later repeated the same performance at the International Glass Industries, Aba when he personally visited the site for on the spot assessment of the progress of work by the new managers who are working to revamp the moribund industry.
21. Massive Support and Collaboration with NDE in community based skill acquisition programme.
This was first demonstrated by government in the establishment of the Skill Acquisition Centre at Ugwunagbo which was opened by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige.
The same feat is being repeated in the establishment of another skill acquisition centre at Umuobiakwa. Government is expanding the programme to include granting start-up capitals for young graduates to enable them start small-scale businesses. After the training, graduates are also given equipments to assist them to begin work.
22. Renovation of Dilapidated Schools.
The government is embarking on a large-scale programme of renovation of dilapidated primary school buildings in the state. This is to be done with the funds accessed from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). There is also the friends of Abia School Adoption Initiative (FASAI) through which the government is attending to the infrastructural challenges of both secondary and primary schools in the state.
23. Promotion of Aba Made Goods
The govt has led a campaign for the standardization of Made-in-Aba products. There is also an ongoing trade promotion programme of the Aba products. This climaxed with the Made in Aba Trade Fair in Abuja. This is generating a lot of patronage for the home-grown products. All these are part of the measures put in place to boost the economy of the state and shore up IGR for the state
24. Security
Deployed some tactical action in tackling the crime of Kidnapping which had started rearing its ugly head in Aba and the environs.
The Governor has also consistently ensured adequate security of lives and property and maintenance of law and order.
25. Formation of the Abia State Rural Infrastructure Development Initiative (ASTRIDE)
This initiative is aimed at providing at least one project in each of the 184 INEC Wards in the 17 local councils
The idea is to close the gap of infrastructural development in the rural areas.
The ASTRIDE Committees are expected to choose an un-encumbered site for citing of the project .
They are to choose the type of project among project lines of the state government.
It follows the bottom-top approach of developmental methodology.
Summary.
The Ikpeazu brand is an ability, an attitude and a state of the mind; an ability to think something new and generate new ideas, an attitude to experiment with new possibilities, a state of mind conditioned by the peculiar circumstances of political birth. It is a novel personality of governance which Governor Ikpeazu has brought to bear in serving Abians. This personality is defined by approaching political power as a divine calling.