Our Reporter, New York
Renowned journalist and author, Rudolf Okonkwo, has noted that the remarkable transformation of the commercial city of Aba, once plagued by widespread environmental neglect, has become a powerful symbol of what determined leadership can achieve in Nigeria.
Speaking during a special edition of 90Minutes Africa, moderated by Prof. Nimi Wariboko, to discuss his collection of poems titled, A Kiss That Never Was: Poems of Heartbreak and Almost Love, the host of The Dr. Damages Show highlighted how the city’s turnaround under Governor Alex Otti demonstrates that meaningful progress is both possible and attainable.
Reflecting on one of his poems, “Aba Ngwa,” Okonkwo recalled a period when heaps of refuse dotted the commercial city, creating an environment many residents had come to accept as normal. He criticized the tendency of citizens to place sole responsibility for government failures on the government while neglecting their own role in shaping their surroundings.
“We always want to blame the government for failures while we ignore the things that we can change in our environment,” Okonkwo said.
While acknowledging that governance carries primary responsibility for public infrastructure and sanitation, he stressed that civic responsibility must go hand in hand with leadership.
According to him, the rapid cleanup of Aba following Governor Otti’s assumption of office dispelled the long-held belief that the city’s sanitation crisis was insurmountable.
“After a series of governments, it appeared the situation was impossible to deal with. But we saw how the government came and cleaned the place up within a short time,” he noted.
“This shows that it is possible to clean up the bigger mess in Nigeria if the people demand that it should be done.”
Okonkwo’s remarks formed part of a broader discussion centered on his newly published poetry collection, A Kiss That Never Was: Poems of Heartbreak and Almost Love. The work, reviewed during the programme by literary scholars, including Prof. Nimi Wariboko, Prof. Okey Ndibe, and Ikhide Ikheloa, explores themes ranging from love and human relationships to governance and social responsibility.
In another segment, Okonkwo reflected on his poem “He Died for Me,” which pays tribute to Bruce Mayrock, a young American who sacrificed his life to draw global attention to the humanitarian crisis during the Nigerian Civil War. He used the story to underscore a recurring moral gap, where those closest to suffering sometimes become desensitized, while distant observers respond with greater empathy.
Drawing parallels with present-day Nigeria, Okonkwo lamented the lack of collective empathy across regions, particularly regarding insecurity in the North. He urged Nigerians to cultivate a stronger sense of shared responsibility and compassion, emphasizing that societal progress depends not only on leadership but also on citizens’ willingness to demand and sustain change.
The transformation of Aba, he concluded, should serve as both an inspiration and a challenge: a reminder that effective governance, when matched with public accountability and civic engagement, can overcome even the most entrenched problems.
