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The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti on Tuesday inaugurated the Abia State Orientation Agency in Umuahia to put a stop to mediocrity in the State.
At the inauguration, Mr Otti said the agency’s mandate is to boost the campaign for attitudinal and systemic change in Abia. He described the agency as a strategic initiative to encourage value reorientation among Abia people.
“Leadership is important in achieving socioeconomic transformation, but a citizenry that is not socially responsible is a problem. The agency is our latest attempt at hitting the reset button to discard mediocrity and uphold meritocracy. Abia will remain unchanged unless we resolve to play by the highest ethics of sound attitude and judgement,” Mr Otti said.
Mr Otti urged the agency to educate Abia people to adopt new behavioural patterns that support his government’s efforts to rebuild the state.
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‘You have the duty to enlighten critical stakeholders to make Abia a standard for good governance and responsible citizenship,’ Mr Otti stressed.
Former education minister Oby Ezekwesili urged the Abia government to evolve virile policies and create an enabling environment to facilitate the development of Abia. She urged Mr Otti to be guided by the principle of absolute integrity and uncompromised ethical standards in piloting the affairs of the state.
Ms Ezekwesili also charged the Abia government to invest resources prudently and create an efficient public financial management system for all government businesses.
Secretary to the state government Kenneth Kalu described rebuilding Abia as a collective responsibility for the government and the people.
“We all have a critical role to play in the mission to build a new Abia. Therefore, all hands must be on deck,” Mr Kalu said.
Dike Nwankwo, the agency’s director-general, said social reengineering and character remoulding would be central to the discharge of its mandate.
According to Mr Nwankwo, infrastructural development, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, and making good laws are not enough to change Abia.
“We have a duty to renew our moral values and encourage attitudinal change to achieve the Abia of our dreams,” he said.
The inauguration of the agency was part of activities outlined for commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the creation of Abia on August 27, 1991.
