Abia at 35: Chidoka Urges Otti to Institutionalise Governance Gains
By Riita Aleke, Umuahia
Former Minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, OFR, NPoM, has challenged the Abia State Government to transform the gains recorded under Governor Alex Otti into enduring institutions that can function effectively beyond his tenure.
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Chidoka made the call on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, where he delivered the keynote lecture, “Abia at 35: The Rise of a New Abia,” as part of activities marking the 35th anniversary of the creation of Abia State.
Reflecting on the state’s journey since its creation in 1991, Chidoka said Abia had experienced defining moments at different stages of its history and was currently witnessing another under Governor Otti. He, however, cautioned that the administration’s success should ultimately be judged not only by its physical achievements but by its ability to build systems and institutions capable of sustaining those gains.
According to him, the more important legacy of the Otti administration would be a government that learns to function efficiently without depending on the personal intervention of the Governor.
“The real measure of this administration will therefore not only be what Governor Otti achieves while he is Governor. It will be what Abia government learns to do because he was Governor. The greater inheritance is a government that has learnt how to work,” Chidoka said.
The former minister pointed to improvements in roads, urban renewal and public services under the present administration, but stressed that such achievements would have greater value if they became embedded in the structures and processes of government.
A significant moment during the lecture came when Chidoka produced his personal copy of Governor Otti’s 2014 book, Saving the Future: Agenda for Economic Development and Prosperity. He used the book to demonstrate that some of the ideas contained in Otti’s writings more than a decade ago were now reflected in policies being implemented by his administration.
Chidoka particularly cited Otti’s position that education is “a pillar that other sectors rest on” and that “educational accountability is the backbone for quality assurance.” He linked those ideas to the increased priority accorded education in Abia’s budgets since 2023.
Responding to the keynote, Governor Otti departed from his prepared remarks to speak extempore, expressing appreciation to Chidoka for what he described as a well-researched presentation. He said the lecture reinforced his own belief that governance should not be built around one individual.
Otti disclosed that although he had not revisited his 2014 book in several years, the ideas contained in it had remained relevant to his administration because they represented his long-held convictions, particularly on education and economic development.
Chidoka, however, stressed that increased government expenditure and physical infrastructure were only the beginning of the transformation process. In the education sector, he said, the ultimate test would be whether increased investment translated into improved learning outcomes for children.
He argued that the same principle applied to governance generally, insisting that the standards being established under the current administration must eventually become routine features of government rather than achievements dependent on the personality of the incumbent Governor.
He described the desired progression as a movement “from a capable Governor to a capable government, and from a capable government to a capable state.”
The 35th anniversary ceremony also featured a goodwill video message from the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an Abia-born global figure. The programme included panel discussions on the state’s development, cultural presentations and poetry performances.
The event was attended by the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, members of the National and State Assemblies, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers, clergy, civil servants and other stakeholders.
Chidoka said the next phase of Abia’s development should be about making competent and effective government the norm rather than the exception. He identified functioning schools, clean cities, good roads, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, and efficient public institutions as standards that should become institutionalised.
He said Abia’s aspiration at 35 should therefore extend beyond celebrating the achievements of an individual administration to building a state where good governance survives changes in political leadership.
“Thirty-five years after its creation, perhaps that is the next Abia moment: not simply that one governor governed well, but that good government became the habit of the state,” Chidoka said.