In the recent past, Aba has been the subject of foul narrative and mockery. Amid the creativeness, energy and vigour that the city proffers, quality infrastructural development has overtime become a challenge. Some of us whom has held our heads high of hailing from the Enyinmba city have often found our selfs being trolled whenever we leave the city or comment on national issues. The Abia 2015 guber election was an ample opportunity to change the foul narrative, while the ancestral home of Gov. Ikpeazu’s main challenger was the subject of scrutiny and debate, where Okezie Ikpeazu was coming from, and his intended target was clear..
For those who believed in the prosperity of the Aba city, the entrance of an Aba man into the guber race was not only timely, but also a masterclass as the teeming populace of Aba had no option than to queue behind, after all; “onye Aba ga aru Aba”.
Having eventually emerged winner, it was now time for judgement based on performance level. While there were several distraction and hiccups coming the Ikpeazu way after his emergence as governor, many argued that he was not living up-to the hype and expectations.
Countdown to date, the naysayers have been been forced to swallow their false narrative, while the doubting thomases forced to live with the glaring truth, the Ikpeazu we know, and dearly wants have now come into cognizance. Making it a miserable experience for those who never believed in the Aba project. From Ebemnma to Milverton Avenue, to Osusu, to Egege/Ama Ohafia, to first avenue in Ogbor-hill, the evidence is clear. Aba has left it’s sorry state and never to remain the same again….
As Idowu Koyenikan rightly posits, “even though your time on the job is temporary, if you do a good enough job, your work there will last forever”. The overall performance of governor Ikpeazu in the last six years has, and will continue to be the subject of opinion and counter opinion, but for those of whose activities covers the commercial city of Aba, our ranking of Gov. Ikpeazu remains sterling, quintessential, and unapologetically so.
When the former ASEPA boss finally steps down as the chief civil servant of the state, the people of the Enyinmba city would deep down, appreciate the fact that he has turned around the fortunes of the commercial city for good, and therefore written his name in gold, in the annals of history.
Prince Udensi is a University of Calabar trained Political Scientist, writes from Aba, Abia State.
