Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, has told his Commissioners to be ready to deliver or quit.
Otti who gave the warning while inaugurating 16 Commissioners out of the 19 nominees he earlier sent to the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
Ikengaonline checks revealed that the list were dominated by technocrats.
A closer look further revealed that only four women made the list.
They include: Professor Monica Ironkwe – Agriculture; Ngozi Blessing Felix – Women; Ngozi Okoronkwo – Health; and Professor Eme Uche – Education.
Otti said he was in a hurry to develop critical infrastructure and reposition the state, hence, he has no room for excuses.
“The development of critical infrastructure such as quality roads, effective drainage system and robust energy distribution networks to power our homes and industries are also key responsibilities and assignments that shall not be taken lightly under the new administration; and developing an effective framework to achieve these must move at a faster pace now.
“The responsibilities are huge you can neither afford to delay nor fail. Resources are limited I must admit but you must be prepared to make the most of whatever is available to you to drive the outcomes that we seek. Excuses shall not be tolerated and you must be willing at all times to demonstrate that you deserve to remain in this great team.”
Otti, however, told them that the task was not going to be easy, hence they should not bulge.
“Again, it shall not be easy; you will be misrepresented, attempts would be made to sabotage your best efforts and there would be that tiny but powerful minority who would be prepared to do everything to see that you fail.
“Your only job therefore is to see that you don’t fail. It is my prayer that you shall receive the guidance, wisdom and courage you need to do what is right at all times.
“Never relent and do not forget that Abians and Nigerians in general are looking up to us. We must never disappoint them.
Otti reminded them that they would be closely watched.
You will be the most watched and scrutinised commissioners in the recent history of the state in the light of what you have achieved in your various callings before now.
“I expect you to bring in those hallmarks of excellence, commitment to the greater good and sense of duty in your new assignment. I acknowledge that things may be a little different as you begin your new roles and you may be encountering some unpleasant realities as you go about your tasks.
However, you must stay the course, refusing to be distracted or give in to the cynicism of naysayers, and understand that in the end, you will be judged by the courage you brought to bear in doing what is right and not by the unfair criticisms of others.
“So I invite you to brace up for what lies ahead. It is not going to be entirely smooth but you can be assured that you will always have my full support and the prayers of well meaning Abians who have long prayed to have a team of dedicated men and women prepared to make the right sacrifices for the future of our great state.”
Otti charged the Commissioners to place the interest of the state above every other consideration, adding that they should have no excuse for failure.
“You have not been appointed to represent the interests of individuals or clans. You must therefore spend your working hours thinking about the entire state as a single constituency; made up of men and women who yearn for better opportunities to advance themselves economically and socially.
“Do not betray the trust of our people who have remained patient and loyal to our course by toeing the same path that brought Abia to the sorry state we met it.
“The privilege of your appointment must never be seen as an opportunity for self enrichment or advancement of unwholesome interests. There would be zero tolerance for any of those.
“We are here to work for the whole state and anyone who entertains any doubts about that may have found himself in the wrong room.
“The New Abia we are currently laying its foundations shall be one where the interests of the whole state supersedes the selfishness of any individual or entity.
“We have our work cut out for us and I am already aware you have some ideas of what is expected of you in your new roles.
“Our state is not in a good place on several important frontiers and our people are in a hurry to start seeing changes, especially as it relates to the things that matter most to them.”
Otti said that job creation, poverty alleviation and measurable improvements in the living conditions of the average Abian would be the centrepiece of his policies.
“We must focus on the essentials in order to begin to demonstrate to our people that we are indeed, the team that would get it right,” Otti said.
Otti who said he was in a hurry to develop the state warned the Commissioners against sycophancy.
“Sycophancy as I have repeated severally shall have no place in my administration. You shall be judged strictly on the basis of what you are bringing to the table, how you are contributing to improving the material conditions of our people. I do not expect you to achieve everything in one day but there must be a daily commitment to fulfilling the promises that got us elected.”
