A few hours ago, the Spokesman of former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Onyebuchi Ememanka made a puerile post of lamentation geared towards misleading the general public and presenting Governor Alex Otti as someone who bears a grudge against Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, by allegedly abandoning the Abia Automated Garment Factory initiated by Ikpeazu’s government.
Ememanka knew he was lying and misleading the public, because, unlike financial matters which less-informed members of the public may not understand or be able to lay hand on supporting documents to decide who is lying and who is telling the truth, the Enyimba Garment Factory, is a physical structure that can be accessed and viewed even by the most uninformed.
For the records, on assumption of office, Governor Alex Otti took a decision to resuscitate all moribund industries and important government facilities.
The Governor set up a team led by the Hon. Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Industry to look at the situation of industries like Modern Ceramics, Aba Textile Mills, Start Paper Mill, International Glass Industry, Enyimba Hotels and others, with a view to understanding their challenges, and taking the right step in bringing them back to life.
As I write, far-reaching actions have been taken, and positive results are already being achieved in some areas.
On Enyimba Garment Factory, it’s important to state that It was hurriedly commissioned by Dr. Ikpeazu even when it had not been completed, which was why it didn’t take off before Ikpeazu’s handover.
Because we understood that government is a continuum, the Otti led-government had no issues with doing the remaining things that were not done.
For example, poorly built toilet facilities were rebuilt. Tables and stools were bought by the present government.
The keys of all the doors that were taken away had to be completely replaced.
The key of the Sound Proof Generator that was taken away was replaced, though not so easily.
The non-functional water facilities that were left behind were replaced.
Government is also working assiduously to ensure that the place is connected to the National Grid.
Above all, and most importantly, there were no trained staff to operate the machines.
The Turkish people who came and installed the machines spent only two days in Nigeria and left, so how could the place have started operation immediately?
The Alex Otti led-government had to bring professionals from Lagos and Port Harcourt to come and train the tailors that are operating the machines at the moment. Operation has since started fully over a month ago. See attached pictures and videos.
Shortly after Governor Otti disclosed how 10 billon naira of Abia tax payers’ money was allegedly stolen by the government of former Governor Ikpeazu, his Spokesman Onyebuchi Ememanka boasted that they were going to share important documents to shut up Governor Otti and his team in a matter of hours, but several days after, Ikpeazu, his aides and allies couldn’t share any document; rather, their hirelings were supplied fake and forged documents to share on social media. They know the consequences of sharing fake and forged document by themselves.
The post by Ememanka on the Enyimba Garment Factory was a face-saving post to divert attention of Abians from the missing 10 billion naira. It was a well thought out emotional blackmail to present Governor Otti as an insensitive leader, while protecting an Ikpeazu who supervised over one of the most heinous heists in the history of the state.
My friend Ememanka visits Umuobiakwa whenever Dr. Ikpeazu visits home from Abuja, so I can bet that Ememanka must have passed through the road leading to the Garment Factory while going to Umuobiakwa and must have seen that Governor Otti has done a lot of work which led to the take-off of the Enyimba Garment Factory. So, on what basis did he set out to deceive and misinform the public?
Majority of the workers recruited so far are from the area. The government is planning to do more training and more recruitment. Hundreds of wears are being produced.
The management of the Factory is already planning to open showrooms in Lagos and Abuja.
As I write, the Alex Otti government has since started the upgrade of infrastructure in the Government House. The internal road of the Government House has been re-asphalted. The Deputy Governor’s office block that’s being reconstructed is nearing 80% completion. The Emeka Omerua Guest House, which was in a state of dilapidation, is now looking beautiful, courtesy of Otti’s touch.
The Commissioners Quarters which was built by former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu but was abandoned after his exist, now serves as official accommodation for present Commissioners because Governor Otti took the decision to completely reconstruct and equip the place.
The JAAC building is being completed while construction of the access road is being done.
Just a few weeks ago, the SSG’s office building in Government House which looked like a shrine was completely demolished and construction of a new one has started. This is an intentional strategy to reclaim our key institutions carefully and consistently without awarding multi-billion Naira contracts.
Unfortunately, former Governor Ikpeazu and his team expect us to indulge in premature publicity and unnecessary media razzmatazz like they did on many occasions, including when they advertised and commissioned a Garment Factory that was not ready for use.
The Alex Otti led-government believes in service and results before publicity. We will officially open the Garment Factory and publicise activities there when everything is okay, and we will do so, not to celebrate ourselves, but to win potential customers who may want to come and patronise the place. At the moment, the place is functional and operational, courtesy of Governor Otti’s commitment, so the claim by Ikpeazu’s Spokesman is false, baseless, and unfounded.
Ferdinand Ekeoma,
Special Adviser
Media and Publicity.
May 13, 2024.
