UCHE AGUORU
The present day Abia State, under the then Imo state had the enviable reputation of being the industrial and manufacturing base of the geographical location known today as south east and South South, and only in competition with states like Lagos in the west and Kano in the North, there was a huge presence of industrial clusters both in the medium and large scale categories in the town then referred to as the japan of Africa because of the ingenuity of those living and doing business in Aba.
In the early seventies and late eighties aba was the home of every Igbo millionaire and it is arguable if there is any successful Igbo businessman both in commerce and industry that his business does not have its roots in aba, Aba played host to multinationals such as international equitable industries ltd, PZ industries ltd, Nigerian breweries ltd, Niger garments ltd, Onwuka Interbiz ltd, Bata Nigeria ltd etc., while industries like modern ceramics ltd, Golden Guinea breweries ltd, and the leading transport companies as at that time Chidiebere transport ltd and Ekene dili chukwu Nigeria ltd had their headquarters domiciled in Umuahia.
Early research shows that Aba also known as the Enyimba city houses the largest number of cottage industries and local manufacturing firms across the west coast of Africa, it is also the commercial destination of all west African and central African states of Cameroun, Niger, Chad, Benin republic etc. while traders across the federation visit aba on daily basis for different types of business transactions making Abia a destination of choice in commerce and industry.
But due to neglect, lack of foresight and purposeful leadership, laziness and deficiency in creative and visionary thinking and leadership, aba has become the direct opposite of what it was ,exposing the lack of intelligence and vision of present day leaders to sustain the foundation of wealth and development that our fathers laid for us and making it a matter of debate if actually our forefathers are not more intelligent and smarter than our generation of leaders who are all reliant on handouts from our crude oil dependent economy.
‘Aba the commercial hub of the state is gasping for fiscal air, it’s only fair to be clear that the state’s budget difficulties as it relates to human capital, industrial and infrastructural development are a result of provincial mendacity and lack of managerial tact occasioned by creative mismanagement and short visioned leadership skills that is only based on academic rhetoric without requisite action.’
But today, as God used David to liberate the Israelites from the hands of philistines so has God chosen to use Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah to liberate Abia from the shackles of infrastructural underdevelopment and stunted economic growth just like he transformed the sleepy and unknown town of Onuaku into an industrial Mecca and a modern day housing estate.
Dr. Ogah in affiliation with foreign technical partners, renowned economists and multinationals have developed an economic recovery and infrastructural growth plan which will embrace critical components such as agriculture, industrial development, technological advancement, waste to wealth program, granting of soft loans to Artisan’s and Locally based SME’s so as to re-engineer Abia’s economic and industrial sector that will breed the economic and social prosperity that Abians are in dire need of.
All we need to do as Abians in order to get out of the sufferings of today and move into the prosperity that Abia was known for, is to cast our vote for Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah so as to lead us into the prosperous future that Abians desire.