Governor Alex Otti, Wednesday, commissioned the rehabilitated Ovom Street in Aba North Local Government Area and environs, once ravaged by gully erosion.
The erosion disaster swallowed buildings, rendered families homeless, destroyed livelihoods, and cut-off residents from other parts of the city.
For the people of the area, hope was lost, leading to the relocation of many families.
For residents who had lived all their lives there, built homes and established businesses there, it was a deeply traumatic experience watching years of hard work swept away by natural disaster.
Upon being briefed about the devastating erosion, the governor wasted no time. He personally visited the site to assess the severity of the situation. True to his leadership style, action followed swiftly. Rather than wait for the Federal Government’s ecological fund, he chose to act decisively, placing the safety and welfare of the people above bureaucratic delays.
His first directive to Uche Ukeje, general manager of the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), was to evacuate residents immediately and arrange temporary accommodation for affected families.
He then ordered that competent contractors with proven expertise in ecological projects be engaged to reconstruct the road and stabilise the environment.
Work commenced without delay. Governor Otti did not just issue directives; he consistently monitored and inspected the progress and quality of the project. For him, standards and excellence are non-negotiable. As he often emphasises, “It’s either we are doing it well, or we are not doing it at all.”
Today, what once appeared impossible has become a testament to purposeful and responsive leadership.
An area that erosion turned into a valley has now been restored to stable, motorable plain land, through the proactive intervention of his administration.
For the people of Ovom Street, hopelessness has given way to hope. Tears of despair have transformed into tears of joy. Homes and livelihoods that seemed permanently lost have been reclaimed. Vehicles once trapped in garages now move freely again, and the road once silenced erosion valley echoes once more with the sound of life and progress.
For years, Ovom Road had been severely damaged by gully erosion, posing serious risks to residents, businesses and commuters. The erosion had rendered the route nearly unusable, cutting off access and threatening surrounding properties. Under the current administration, the road has been fully rebuilt, alongside adjoining streets, with extensive erosion control measures put in place to prevent further environmental damage.
Governor Alex Otti, in an address at the commissioning, described the completion of the project as a fulfillment of his electoral promises, noting that the area had suffered neglect for years as erosion steadily consumed nearby roads and infrastructure.
According to Governor Otti, Enyimba (Aba) is rising and the dream that was once stalled, shall now rise to meet the glory of the skies.
He said that nothing speaks to Enyimba’s rise and ascent as the recovery of Ovom Street and environs.
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“To imagine that the entire stretch was written off, not long ago, points us to the errors of pessimism, because in truth, no situation is entirely irredeemable.
“For those who wonder why we are not erecting billboards to announce our achievements, the expressions on the faces of the landlords, residents, business owners, school children and artisans within and around Ovom offered a telling answer, because the records of our achievements are clearly written, not on beautiful graphic images that litter the highway, but in the hearts, minds and lived experiences of ordinary people.”
By focusing solely on development initiatives that improve the daily business experiences of people, Governor Otti said that his administration has effectively banished the old political tradition of excessive self-promotion.
Governor Otti said, “Abia is getting better with each passing day and the credit for the massive transformation that has happened here and in other parts of the State since May 29, 2023, belongs to all of you for refusing to believe the lie that the fault was in our stars — for not giving up, even when hope was seemingly evaporating. You are the heroes of the New Abia for it is you, who empowered us to build a new system, one that prioritises sincerity over deceit, purpose over greed and compassion over cold indifference.”
Uche Ukeje, director general, Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), the state’s agency that designed and supervised the Ovom erosion project, described the outcome of the project as promise kept.
He recounted how one Roseline Uwazue, a widow and other residents of Ovom Street held on to the promise made to them by Governor Otti, during his visit to the area in 2023, immediately he came into office
According to Ukeje, Roseline Uwazue, a widow and her four children were about to lose a storey building, about to be swallowed by gully erosion before Governor Otti’s intervention.
He said that all efforts to evacuate Uwazue and family from their home, was difficult as she kept crying.
She said that the husband didn’t have a house in their native Mbaise, in Imo State, and that the only thing that he left for her and the children was that house and that the governor had promised them that the house would be saved and the road recovered.
“When we tried to remove her and other residents to save their lives to see the road recovered, this woman held on to the governor’s promise.
“I also had a similar experience with a man who also live there. His son has two buildings on that street and they all kept hanging on to the hope and to the faith that the governor would fulfil his promise.
“And we are here to celebrate a promise that had been kept. The entire road has been recovered and today we are celebrating the faith between the leader and the led,” Ukeje said.
The residents of Ovom community, consisting of Ovom, Arochukwu, Ikeotuonye and Long John streets in a statement, thanked Governor Otti for fulfilling the promise he made to them in 2023, which was to save the community.
The statement, signed by Christian Nwaigwe and Nelson Iroegbu, recalled how they lived in great anxiety, as they watched the unprecedented ravaging of their environment, businesses and other forms of livelihood being washed away with every drop of rainfall.
To them, despondency filled the air, as virtually every aspect of livelihood was negatively affected-communication were restricted and transition in the area became most difficult, electricity supply was disrupted, due to failing poles and the relocation of their transformer, even water supplies to families were difficult.
In their words, “We are here to celebrate not only the early reconstruction and rehabilitation of the eroded road, but also to celebrate our action governor, who has placed the welfare of the people and development of Abia State above every other consideration.”
