Lagos right lawyer, Monday Ubani sets agendas for incoming administration in Abia, over deficits in state’s Infrastructure

By Chinedu Emeruwa Chinedu

Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, a concerned Abia citizen and and former 2nd national vice chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has set agenda for the incoming administration in Abia state, to be able to surmount the myriads of challenges impeding efforts of the state, to attain economic greatness in the last twenty-four years of present democratic governments in the country.

This is even as the lagos-based lawyer criticized the outgoing administration of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abia for allegedly failing to justify the collective mandate of Abia people with no visible evidence of performance in the last eight years it assumed the leadership of the state.

He was baring his mind contained in a press statements made available to newsmen in Umuahia, the state capital, against the backdrops of a recent negative posturing from the outgoing PDP-controlled government in the state, on the incoming administration of the new Abia Governor-elect, Alex Otti.

Earlier, Mr Ubani, a renowned human rights lawyer and the current chairman of Nigerian Bar Association section on Public Interest and Development ( NBA-SPIDEL), while setting agenda for the incoming executive arm of government in Abia, on Thursday, ahead of its formal inauguration this month, called on Otti to embark on-the-hand- assessment of all federal road infrastructure in Abia to determine what needs to be done urgently to make the dilapidated roads motorable, so as to enhance the productivity of Abia people.

According to him, “roads like ikot-ekpene; Aba/enugu/port-harcourt; Umuahia/Ohafia; Umuahia/bende/Arochukwu; Isuikwuato/Uturu/Okigwe; and other federal roads within the state that are essential for trade and productive engagement must also be considered for completions and maintenance”, according to him.

“Abia state government under our able governor should approach Federal Road Emergency Maintenance (FERMA) and possibly make special financial provisions and supervise them to intervene on federal roads so that there could be quick results.

“FERMA, as an agency of the federal government requires some kind of push and support to get them to do anything tangible because, they are either not well–funded or they do not prioritize some important roads due to corruption in the system.

“After these federal roads, all internal roads in umuahia, Aba, Ohafia, ikwuano, Ngwa lands, ukwa east/west and all the local governments in Abia must be addressed “as at yesterday”.

He confided that the new Abia governor-elect has the required capacity to engender massive road construction and rehabilitation of the aforementioned federal roads, and other numerous of challenges hindering Nigeria’s economic growths, and the development of nation’s critical infrastructure for good of the citizenry.

Ubani partly stated: Otti’s recent meetings with leaders of MTN, Julius Berger and UBA rekindled my hope and belief that we are charting the right course towards total recovery of Abia as a state. His agenda for this first four years need not be many but few and very impactful to the entire Abians.

“Total recovery of Aba Infrastructure and energy (Power) shall be one of his main priorities. He must intervene on Aba-Port Harcourt road specifically. No investor in Aba will take Abia government serious if nothing is done on that Aba/Port-harcourt road”.

“He must observe rule of law, respect to citizens fundamental human rights, run humane governance, quick and proactive response to emergencies, treating inevitable needs and problems of the people with utmost dispatch”.

Recall the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had announced the main flagbearer of the labour party in the recently-concluded governorship election in Abia state, Alex Chioma Otti, as winner and the new Governor-elect, after polling a total number of 175, 467 votes cast, to beat his closest rival and the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88,529 votes to come second position at the conclusion of the gubernatorial and state houses of assembly held on 18th of March, 2023, across all the electoral wards of the 17 local government areas in the state.