How Prof. Mkpa’s Testimony Validates Governor Otti’s Transformational Governance In Abia

EBERE UZOUKWA, PhD

Abia State has firmly entered a new era in which governance is measured not by promises, but by visible outcomes, institutional reforms, and the restoration of public trust. Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, governance has become purposeful, people-centred, and results-driven. Across the State, the people are offering compelling testimonies that affirm a clear and irreversible departure from the failures of the past.

From the expansive renewal and widening of roads in Umuahia metropolis to the liberalisation of public services once treated as exclusive privileges, the Otti administration has redefined governance and raised the standards of public service delivery. Long-standing bureaucratic bottlenecks have been dismantled, efficiency has replaced delay, and confidence in government institutions has been steadily restored.

One of the most authoritative validations of this transformation has come from Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa, a respected elder statesman and academic who has actively participated in, and closely observed, three previous civilian administrations in Abia State. His testimony is particularly significant because it is anchored in decades of experience and direct engagement with successive governments.

Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa served as Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU). After his tenure as Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mkpa continued to serve in public roles within Abia State as he was appointed Chairman of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC).

He would later serve as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Commissioner for Education, reflecting his long engagement in public service during the past administrations.

According to Prof. Mkpa, the speed and depth of reforms under Governor Otti have achieved in less than three years what remained unattainable for over two decades. His personal experience, especially the seamless issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy after eight years of frustration under previous administrations, vividly captures the broader institutional efficiency, responsiveness, and human-centred governance now defining Abia State.

Beyond infrastructure and service delivery, the present administration reflects the collective resolve of Abians who are determined not to return to an era of stagnation, excuses, and systemic dysfunction. Abia has left “Egypt,” and there is a firm and shared commitment not to look back. This resolve is increasingly expressed through a growing consensus and overwhelming support for Governor Otti’s re-election, widely seen as essential for consolidating gains, sustaining reforms, and completing the transformation agenda.

Speaking truth as truth must be told, Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa captured this historic shift in clear and unmistakable terms:

“Your Excellency, I am privileged, and I give God the glory that I have traversed all the administrations in the civilian dispensation in Abia State through Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, through Chief T. A. Orji, and through Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

But I dare to say, and without any fear of contradiction or equivocation, that in two years, you have done what could not be done in twenty-four years.

Nobody ever imagined that the roads in Umuahia metropolis could be widened and asphalted the way they are today.

Certain things we thought were privileges, you have liberalised.

For eight years, I sought for a Certificate of Occupancy before you came. Surprisingly, when you came, I received a phone call from that office, and they said, ‘You applied for a Certificate of Occupancy years back. Come and receive your Certificate of Occupancy.’

For me, it looked like a dream. I said, ‘Could this be Abia? Could this happen in Abia State?’ This is a transformed Abia.

I wished I had the opportunity to serve in this administration, because all my efforts in the previous administrations appeared to be drowned. And all of us were classified as unproductive.

It is a pride, and for those of you who are in this administration, thank your God, because you are part of the glory that He is making of us.”

This testimony, coming from a voice of experience, integrity, and deep institutional memory, speaks louder than any campaign slogan. It affirms that under Governor Alex Chioma Otti, Abia State has not only changed, but has irreversibly embarked on a path of sustainable development, accountable governance, and shared prosperity.

– Dr. Ebere Uzoukwa
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State on Public Affairs.