Written by
Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Ph.D
Chief of Staff to the Governor
60 years ago, a pathfinder and a trail blazer was born. Even though he entered the world unnoticed and ordinary, it soon became evident that he has been born to show forth the ingenuity of the black race. He was created to underscore the fact that being black is not synonymous with being backward.
In his academics, he excelled. In the corporate world, he set standards in corporate governance that have become the yardstick to measure corporate success. This ordinarily, should have been enough for him to retire and enjoy the fruit of his labour; but he never felt satisfied and fulfilled as long as his people dwelt in darkness and his state – God’s Own State, remained the laughing stock in the comity of States.
Like Moses, even though “born” in the King’s Palace and would have been satisfied to enjoy the glitz and glamour of the palace, yet he chose to identify with his people – God’s own elects.
After leaving the plum job as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the then Diamond Bank, he headed to his State to mobilize Abians for transformation. In 2015, he offered his services to Abians, in order to redeem God’s Own State and was given an over- whelming endorsement to do so by Abians but he was denied the opportunity to do so by forces that had held Abia State down.
He fought gallantly to recover his stolen mandate up to the Supreme Court but this was not to be. Just like the Israelites of old continued to cry unto the Lord for rescue after Pharoah and his team had further hardened their heart, Abians in their great anguish and troubles continued crying unto God for a deliverer. This yet emboldened his quest to rescue God’s Own heritage in 2019.
However, in 2023, after 24 years of continuous pillage of the commonwealth of Abians by the wicked cabals, God heard the cries of Abians. In 2023, his message to Abians was “Weep Not, Help is here!”. Indeed, help came the way of Abians!
From the day he took over the mantle of leadership in GOD’S OWN STATE, on May 29, 2023, till date, His Excellency has remained focused on his God-given assignment. He made it abundantly clear that he would not want to be remembered as a Governor who only fixed roads and paid the salaries of Abia Civil Servants.
Since the inception of His Administration, the Governor has been prepared to seek uncommon answers to the things that confronted Abians for too long. He has equally taken it as a priority to stop the rush of our best brains out of Nigeria to other developed countries in search of greener pastures.
His Excellency has resolved to stop poverty in Abia State and to create the right environment for young Abians to create jobs and wealth. To this end, he has started harnessing several opportunities in all sectors of Abia’s economy, and has charged his team members to seek for creative ways to improve the living conditions of Abians in order to help create a future for the up-coming generation.
His Excellency, has always had the vision of a New Abia, where the dysfunctional ways that profited only but a few, were replaced by systems that profit all.
Today, Abia’s glory as truly the number one State in Nigeria, not just in alphabetical listing but in terms of good governance, accountability and transformative governance is being restored.
Today, Abia has become a template for good governance for the developing countries. This explains the reason why his model of governance is highly sought after all over the world, ranging from multilateral agencies to Ivy League academic institutions.
Today, what other governors and previous administrations had spent several millions of the tax payers’ monies crisscrossing around the globe in their endless search for foreign investments, His Excellency has continued to attract without leaving the shores of Abia State.
The international and multi-lateral agencies are coming to Abia State in their droves to identify with Abia State and thereby fulfilling the words of Prophet Isaiah in Chapter 60 verse 3 ”Nations will come to your light, and kings will come to the brightness of your rising”.
For all Abians, as His Excellency marks this eventful year of his life, it is our fervent prayer that God will keep him and his family and grant him the length of years and unique grace to accomplish the agenda that God has set for him for the total emancipation of the black race starting from Abia state.
God will continue to use what His Excellency is doing in Abia State to showcase to the entire world that things can really work when the right kind of person takes over the mantle of leadership.
Happy Birthday the People’s Governor!
Happy birthday to Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR!!
Happy birthday Ugwu Abia!!!
