Abia : Ikpeazu Takes Oath of Office ,with promise to build Abia Economy

Steve Unegbu

Speaking on Wednesday during the swearing in ceremony in Umuahia Township Stadium, Umuahia, Ikpeazu described his reelection as an opportunity to rededicate his services to improving the welfare of the people of Abia.

The Governor said that he had taken note of the areas that require urgent  intervention, adding that an internal review of the system had been conducted to consolidate delivery of democracy dividend.

“The primary focus of our administration will be consolidating on the achievements of our first tenure, completing ongoing projects and creating avenues for our teeming youths to have jobs and be self-sufficient.

“We are poised to create over one million jobs before our tenure is over. We will meet the needs of today while ensuring we lay solid foundations for the tomorrow of our children.

“We will continue to run on our five pillars of development and their enablers, and they will remain our guiding principle for our policy formulations and plans going forward,” he said.

Ikpeazu pledged to execute new projects in order to build Abia economy, adding that the present administration under his watch would impact positively on the lives of the citizenry.

According to him, Abia government in the past four years had made milestone achievements in education, agriculture, industry and commerce as well as infrastructural development.

Ikpeazu  disclosed that the state government had equally fared creditably well in promoting transformation and development in health, education, security, ease of doing business and tax reforms in Abia.

He hinted  that the Enyimba Economic City project would be the legacy of the present administration, because of the massive impact it would have on the people of Abia and the nation at large.

“650,000 jobs will be created, 300,000 units of urban housing will be built, 1.5M people will live and work there,  2,000 industrial/business units will be established there and an annual value output of $5B will be realized in the city.

“The pointer to the value of this project is that the Federal Government of Nigeria has invested into it by taking 20% equity worth N100B. The ripple effect of that project on the rest of Abia State is better imagined.

“I would like to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for looking beyond partisan political lines to give his full blessing to this project. As a people, we are eternally grateful. Thank you Mr. President,” he added.

Ikpeazu said that his mandate was for the people of Abia and urged  members of the opposition parties to put aside all differences  and join hands with the present administration in building the state.

 ” Electioneering ends once a winner has been declared and governance begins .I am governor, not just of those who voted for me ,but of all Abians and residents of Abia state .My mandate is for all and I shall do right to all .I wish to once again call on all those who contested the governorship election with me to come and join hands with me so that together we can work for the benefit of Abians “