Exactly 13 months ago, precisely on May 29, 2015, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu
PhD, an unassuming academic and erudite scholar with the gift of
administrative excellence assumed the mantle of leadership of Abia state
as its chief executive officer. Ikpeazu’s ascendency to power was
climaxed by his commencement of the implementation of his government’s
five point agenda which are: education, agriculture, oil and gas,
infrastructure and trade and commerce.
Consequently, these five
point agenda fired and in fact underlined the significance of his
revolution in virtually all sectors of the economy as road
infrastructure became the pivotal sub sector the administration visited
its magic wand on shortly after taking office. Within days of assumption
of office rehabilitation of over 27 roads in Aba and Umuahia commenced
while electricity and pipe borne water whose conspicuous absence was
disturbing became part of Abia infrastructural menu.
The city of
Aba, one of Africa’s fledging industrial and commercial hub had a
blueprint for a turnaround as the Ikpeazu’s government, in an effort to
make it the final destination of trade, commerce and industrial in sub
Saharan Africa, established the Aba Urban Renewal Agency. The aim is to
give the agency the legal authority to reinvent and make the city
attractive for local and foreign investments; hence the present
remodeling of Enyimba city as a centre of industrial and commercial
excellence.
Actually, this paradigm of Ikpeazu’s government being
pursued at a period of austerity has given a boost to the Aba economy
as investors are beginning to see the need to invest in this God’s own
State. However, one year on, the administration has had a number of
quality projects to showcase for its one year stewardship. With 70 roads
being constructed or rehabilitated in various parts of the state, 32 of
which have already been completed, as well as the establishment of many
investment friendly policies, the Ikpeazu administration has indeed
joined the superhighway of Abia industrial, commercial and economic
Eldorado.
Reeling the policies/initiatives out should be the
assignment for another day, but suffice it to say that public
restructuring, domestic management, acceptance of Made in Aba Goods,
enhancement of quality education through the Friends of Abia Schools
Adoption Initiative (FASAI) and the Abia Primary School Lunch etc are
the expectations of the electorate that have been met by the Okezie
Ikpeazu administration.
This quantum leap in infrastructure in
Abia state has resulted in the influx of investors. The list is
inexhaustible, but suffice it to name the few this space could
accommodate. They include: Crown Realities PLC of Nigeria, (free
trade/industrial), Kunwon Construction Coy Ltd, South Korea, (mini
industrial park), Afropoland Group/Pilgrim Ranch Ltd of Poland
(agriculture/goat farming), Kings Corporation Group of USA (refinery,
power plant, sea port/air port), Geonel Group of Israel (new city
development).
Others are: Benchmark Consortium of UAE
(agriculture/cassava processing/oil palm), Fresno Solution of Nigeria
(Lottery), Samthonia Reality Investments LLC of USA (Real Estate),
Dunnel Worldwide Ltd of Poland (Real Estate), HJ Trust and Investment
Ltd of Nigeria (agriculture/palm oil, AG Homes Ltd of Nigeria (real
estate) and Epcot Crenshaw of UK which is investing in waste management
amongst many other investors.
As a classroom man, an
academic and a scholar, Okezie Ikpeazu PhD has not hidden his desire to
promote scholarly excellence and impart quality learning to pupils and
students in the state, particularly in his field of study, Biochemical
Pharmacology. On Friday, June 10, 2016, the Abia chief executive made
good his pledge to hold a monthly lecture series for undergraduate
students of the Department of Biochemistry at the Abia State University,
Uturu.
Despite his tight official schedule, Gov Ikpeazu was able
to visit the institution for the lecture that began this June. He was
received on arrival by some traditional rulers, members of the governing
council of the university as well as its management team led by the
Vice Chancellor, Prof Uche Ikonne.
Displaying his academic and
teaching prowess during the lecture, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu who lectured
fourth year students of the Department of Biochemistry on BCM 452
Pharmaceutical Biochemistry emphasized the need for continuous
scientific research as a prerequisite for more scientific discovery and
growth.
The lecture brought out the best in him as a university
teacher and administrator par excellence. It should be recalled that
before his assumption of office as the fourth executive of Abia state,
Ikpeazu had lectured and acted as visiting lecturer in many Ivory Towers
across the country, chief among them are: the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka, Enugu State University of Technology, Ebonyi State University as
well as the Polytechnic, Calabar.
Not only did he serve as
senior lecturer in some of these institutions, Ikpeazu was the Head of
Department of Biochemistry at the Enugu State University of Technology
before the call for higher duty brought him to Abia state where he
served as the Transition Chairman, Obingwa local government area in
2002.
He was also a Masters Degree External Examiner to the
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He once said
his life-long ambition is to become a professor of Biochemistry; a
desire that is being manifested by his enormous desire and love for
teaching and research in his field of specialisation even now that he
serves as Abia chief executive.
Really, Okezie Ikpeazu is the
first governor in the history of Nigeria that will take time off their
busy schedules to impart and lecture students in the (governors’) area
training or specialization without necessarily infringing on the
business and operations of governance.
The Gov Ikpeazu has
assured that the arrangement of lecturing the fourth year students of
ABSU (BCM 452 – Pharmaceutical Biochemistry) monthly will be a permanent
one, saying that the lecture series rather than impinge on the
activities of governance will spur him to perform optimally and even do
exploits in all sectors of the Abia economy, particularly in the
education sector.
While welcoming the Gov Ikpeazu who is also the
Visitor of the university to the institution, with some traditional
rulers and leaders of thought from Uturu community, Prof E Uche Ikonne
explained that it was the first time a sitting governor would take time
off his ever busy official duties to lecture students in his area of
training and commended him for taking special interest in the affairs of
the university.
END
Uche Nwosu, a Public Affairs Commentator, wrote from Umuahia, Abia State.
