Federal Government Applauds Governor Otti’s Bold Road Revolution as It Declares Abia a Model Construction Site

Governor Alex Otti’s infrastructural drive has now received an emphatic nod from the Federal Government of Nigeria, further solidifying his administration’s reputation for purposeful governance and transformative leadership. With cranes, graders, and asphalt layers marking a daily rhythm across Abia State, it is no longer metaphorical to call the state a construction site it is an unfolding reality.

This rare validation came during an unscheduled visit by Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, who personally toured several federal road projects in the state, including those rehabilitated by the Otti administration. Speaking at the Government House, Umuahia, Umahi openly applauded the governor’s intervention on federal roads and described the scale and quality of ongoing work as both impressive and exemplary.

“I didn’t inform you because I wanted to see things for myself, unfiltered,” the Minister told Governor Otti. “And I’m not just proud of the quantum of work delivered, but the technical precision and attention to detail. The reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba, in particular, is mind-blowing.”

The Minister’s assessment was neither casual nor ceremonial. He recounted his solitary drive through portions of the Port Harcourt-Enugu Expressway and other arterial routes. These roads, once a symbol of federal neglect and logistical agony for commuters, have now been reclaimed with engineering expertise and visible political will.

“Before you came into office, our contractors couldn’t even operate freely here,” Umahi stated. “You have not only opened up these routes but demonstrated what genuine partnership between state and federal government can look like even across party lines.”

Engr. Umahi also appealed to other governors to draw inspiration from Otti’s pragmatic style. He urged them to see beyond party affiliations and prioritize the collective wellbeing of citizens, stressing that infrastructure must never be a victim of politics.

Acknowledging the warm rapport between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Otti, the Minister revealed that the President himself would be commissioning some of the completed projects during an upcoming visit. He described the Otti-Tinubu relationship as “historic” and urged the people of the Southeast to rally behind an administration that is, in his words, “repositioning the region within the national equation.”

Governor Otti, visibly appreciative of the commendation, responded with characteristic humility and a reaffirmation of his government’s open-door approach. “We don’t see infrastructure as territory to be claimed,” he said. “Once a road is built, whether by state or federal hands, the beneficiaries are the people. That’s what matters.”

He recalled his earlier conversation with President Tinubu in which he sought presidential approval to fix key federal roads in disrepair among them the Ohafia-Arochukwu Road, Onuimo-Umuahia axis, and the now-transformed Port Harcourt Road. The President, Otti noted, graciously gave the green light.

The Governor also explained why the commissioning of Port Harcourt Road was delayed. “We had planned to hold the ceremony last month, but the President had to travel to the Vatican for the Pope’s inauguration. We’re now working with his office to fix a new date. When he visits, there will be more roads ready for commissioning.”

In response to Umahi’s request concerning the remaining section of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, Otti assured that the State’s Commissioner for Works would promptly assess the situation. “If it’s something we can take on, we certainly will,” he said, “because our people deserve continuity, not patchwork governance.”

Observers say the growing synergy between Abia and the Federal Government could become a model of federalism rooted in mutual respect and shared goals. What Governor Otti is accomplishing, many argue, transcends politics. It is the recovery of public trust through visible, measurable action.

Across Aba, Umuahia, Ohafia, and beyond, the evidence speaks in smooth tarmacs, reconnected communities, and reduced travel time. For many residents, the sights and sounds of construction equipment are no longer background noise they are a soundtrack of hope and a symbol of a state on the rise.

In a region often shortchanged in infrastructure narratives, Abia’s transformation under Alex Otti is being closely watched and increasingly admired as a study in what is possible when leadership, vision, and service converge.


Oluebube A. Chukwu PhD, writes from Umuahia.