Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has said he will bequeath a very healthy state to his successor as he hands over governance to the incoming administration on May 29, 2023.
Ikpeazu, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Aba, explained that he is satisfied with this stewardship and would finish on a strong note, having served well despite the challenges that confronted his administration.
He disclosed that he had already started making strong plans for the incoming administration to kick off strongly by securing a 50 million Dollar facility to do 500 roads at 0.006% with a 10-year moratorium.
His words; “I have served well and I have also been prudent. I’m bequeathing a very healthy state to the incoming administration. I have secured a facility that will enable the incoming administration to start off strongly. It is a facility of over 50 million Dollars to do 500 roads with a 0.006% interest rate with a 10 years moratorium. This means they won’t pay one Naira. How healthier can a state be? And I have done massive infrastructure renewal in Aba and most parts of the state. We did 750 school blocks with over 10,000 people employed. Abia is the most secure state. Security is working and infrastructure is upbeat. There are other areas we recorded success; too numerous to mention.”
Asked if he is prepared to submit himself to probe if the incoming administration desires to review the activities of his administration in the past eight years, Ikpeazu said; “I’m prepared to submit myself to whatever queries that may arise because of my stewardship. It is not a question of willingness; it is something that will happen, whether I’m willing or not, it will happen. So, I’m very willing. I ran a very prudent administration in Abia. I’m satisfied with my stewardship, even in my relationship and disposition. I think I did what I needed to do in the circumstances. No two circumstances are the same but I don’t have any regrets. People are only dwelling on conjectures.”
Stressing that he won’t miss anything as he exits the Government House, Ikpeazu disclosed that he was aware that power is transient and ran the most modest administration in the history of the state.
“I’m not going to miss anything. The Governor’s Lodge in Aba where I live is a three bedroom flat; I don’t think any other Governor in Nigeria can live in this place. But I willingly elected to run the shortest Governor’s convoy of five cars for eight years and live in this 3 bedroom flat. I needed to be close to nature and who I am because I knew that the toga of the governor is ephemeral. I have moved on, but I’m aware that a few people in this country appreciate my hard work and capacity to work with people and bring results. They also appreciate my frankness and stubbornness when it comes to sticking to what I think is right. So, should there be any space for any individual with such credentials, I know that something will happen. But for me now, I’m still a lecturer; I have a personal laboratory and am still writing technical books. I also have a family that is at a very critical stage, they need me to guide them on a few things about life. So, I’m not going to be idle, I don’t know how much time I have for public service as a person. I’m going to be sufficiently busy doing my own thing. One of my biggest personal accomplishments is that I was able to complete a book on Biochemistry and Environmental Pollution.
“I have got reviews that there is no book like that as of today. So, if I could write a book on a technical subject matter like environmental pollution; the molecular basis of environmental pollution, it means that I’m a man of many parts. The business of politics is a thankless job. If I make myself available for political stewardship, I do that at great cost to my family and to other things I can do well.”
