H.E T.A Orji (Ochendo) May 29 2011 inaugural

THE DAWN OF A NEW BEGINNING….An Inaugural address presented by his Excellency, Chief T A Orji (Ochendo) May 29th 2011.
May 30, 2011 at 1:35pm
THE DAWN OF A NEW BEGINNING
An Inaugural address presented by his Excellency, Chief T A Orji (Ochendo) May 29th 2011.

Protocols!
My good people of Abia State
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I address you today with overflowing gratitude, and keen sense of humility to the Almighty God, and to the entire good people of Abia State. I have every cause to be happy and to be rejoicing with you today, but I am also deeply aware of the enormous responsibility conferred by your trust in re-electing me to office for a second term as your Governor, which we are celebrating here today.

In the last Election, Abians overwhelmingly endorsed me for a second term in office as Governor. Through your actions, you have registered a mandate that you want change, development, and a direct vigorous action in the affairs of the new Abia State.

You have asked for discipline and a departure from the past where impunity reigned, and you have asked for a new direction under my leadership, and I heard you, loud and clear!

By making me your present instrument in the drive for a new dawn in Abia, which is desirous of prosperity, and which is now focused on development of the economy, you have left me with only one option- and that option, is that I must perform, and govern Abia according to the best practices and interests of all Abians. These are very rare gifts and urgent demands, and I assure you that I will certainly deliver.

Toady, we celebrate not the victory of one party over the other, instead, we celebrate freedom- freedom of Abians from those who would rather continue in the old ways by privatizing this State, and keeping us perpetually at war with each other, while our common patrimony is either hoarded or frittered away for personal aggrandizement. Today is the beginning of the days when Abian’s resources will begin to work for Abians.

I will recall that in our first term in office, we labored under the oppression and impunities of godfather and a very rapacious family empire. It was by God’s grace and support of well meaning Abians, that we freed ourselves from such impositions, and thereafter, had the opportunity to secure the lives and property of Abians, especially from kidnappers.

We unified the political elites in Abia to begin to take a collective look on Abian problems, and took Abia to the mainstream of Nigerian politics. Now Abians are stronger to face our problems.

I see my re-election into office for the second term as a call to finish that truncated assignment from our first term. I commend all Abians for choosing me and for doggedness in the challenges of the past; I promise that I will not fail you.

I also, see my re-election into office for the second term as an affirmation by Abians, that no person or group should ever again attempt to pocket this State, or act in assumption that he/ or they, have the right to do so. Even if anyone is foolish enough to entertain such an idea, am sure that none will act on it, because Abians will resist. The ghost of godfatherism will never rise again to disturb the peace, development, and security of Abia State. It is now time to freely develop Abia!

For me, this is the beginning of anew dawn, a new healing, signifying the renewal, that Abians have been yearning for. Abia State should be ready to experience a different leadership that comes with dedication and commitments to excel in all fronts. Our resolve to develop Abia will be matched with equal action in the days ahead.

Let the words go forth from this day, that the new government of Abia which we inaugurate today, has been disciplined through experience and fortitudes of office, and will therefore do everything possible to restore Abia to its pride place, give our people a sense of belonging, so that they can once more be proud as Abians.

I know Abians have great expectation from our government being inaugurated today, and this is justified by the shortcomings of the past. But I can tell you today, that I have no fears fort he future of Abia State. It is bright with hope. Abia will endure, as it has never endured before, and pledge to revive and concretize its development trends and put the state on a sound foundation for prosperity.

I must confess that I am the challenges of our second term in office will be whether we have the wisdom to and the vision to create a new prosperous Abia, that enrich and elevate the lives of our people and revive the ingenuity of our business men and entrepreneurs. Yes we do! Our vision and imagination for Abia is that we are in hurray to impact positively on the lives of our people, and certainly we will. There is the will, and there will be a way!

My next government has the will and the vision to reshape the face of Abia in the next four years of our tenure. We pledge, to positively turn your lives around, and where is insecurity, we will bring sound security. Where there is poverty, we will create opportunities for greater riches. Where there is unemployment we will create new jobs and new opportunities for self-employment.

My next government will help our people to help themselves. Yet, I am aware that by the end of our four-year tenure, the problems of Abia’s economic and social change may not have finished. But we intend to leave memorable landmarks and legacies, so that our people can attest that we indeed, began the process of laying a solid foundation for an enduring economic and social development, as well as instituting a responsible governance of Abia State.

And for these, I will need your labor, your support, your advice and your heart to build the new Abia, we all yearn for.

During our campaigns, I had to opportunity to visit as many communities in our State. I appraised our people’s problems and I have made promises to you in the needed gaps in the service to our people. I will keep those promises, because, by electing me back into office, you have kept yours.

Our first task now is to set realistic and honest priorities and then evaluate the issues to reach a collectively beneficial policy and budgets to execute those promises.

Apart from the sharing of political offices, which I know that people expect, we intend to use the same process to identify the quality human resources that will not only fill your allotted gaps, but that will help us in a better position to deliver on our promises to you. We are in a hurry to put Abians back to work, and that will be evident in our new focus.

In our new focus to Abia’s development, our first direction is to make our towns, cities and rural communities, safe secured and clean. We need to create new jobs, and open up new opportunities for investments, and for growth of new entrepreneurship for self employment in the State. We need to stimulate new opportunities through government/private partnership initiatives in the execution of key projects, and in the development of new skills to challenge our teeming unemployed youths.

We will focus on improving and expanding our agricultural production to include new areas such as commercial husbandry and fish farming as well as other areas that will boost food availability and job creation.

We will improve our educational system and focus on specialized training to produce college and polytechnics graduates to drive our new investment industries and service sector.

We will build new housing estates to decongest the cities and cater for urban workers and other dwellers. It is my vision that our government will be seen as leading in the development battle-front, where Abian is assisted to escape from crushing weight of poverty. We will also continue to battle, to give Abians an enduring peace and security of lives, which I see as the first condition for ideal economic development.

I pledge that our new government will provide the needed good governance, and lead with frankness, honesty and vigor. We will provide the enabling environment, infrastructural facilities. And new markets to help the overall development of Abia economy, and at the end, liberate the famed, but now, eclipsed ingenuity and business acumen of our people, which once made Aba produced goods, famous all over the world, and our people-known for their self sustaining industriousness.

I only hope that these efforts will meet with understanding and support of the Abia people, as these are necessary for our success in the days ahead.

I will not end this address, without paying a special tribute to our Party, the PDP for giving me the opportunity to contest in this election under its ubiquitous umbrella. Also to my campaign organization and all those, who through many channels and efforts, piloted my campaign process and assisted me in the race, I cannot thank you enough.

I must say that I was also emboldened in this election, by the massive support which I received Abian traditional Rulers, Clergymen, Civil servants, Students, Workers, Markets organizations and Artisans, and off-course, the indomitable women of Abia State, and my several friends and family.

I salute all of you, and this victory celebration is truly yours and you are the real champions! I ask you to watch out, for the results of efforts and sacrifices. We will dedicate the success of our government in the coming years, to you. And we will ensure that the evaluation of that success will depend on he extent to which-our government is able to impact positively on your lives, guaranteeing your happiness and securing your lives and property, in the new Abia.

As we embark on this new journey of changing the face of and fortunes of Abia State, we will do our honest best to carry everyone along. And so, to our political opponents, our critics, I have some words:
You may not have primary authority of formulating policies for the governance of Abia Stat, but you do have the responsibility of rendering constructive criticism, of clarifying issues, and of allaying fears, by acting as responsible Abian citizens.

These are other good ways we can show love and service to our people. After all government and governance is like a relay race for all patriots who truly love the State.

Once more, to all Abians and everyone out there, I repeat that our government will lead with frankness, honesty and zeal for service.
Even if limitations arise, we will continue to push for change and improvement, but we will never stop to seek for your patience, advice, support and understanding in the days ahead.

I will continue to draw my strength and inspirations from the yearnings of Abians, from you, the people and from God’s wisdom and blessings. Surely, we will succeed beyond all imagination!

May God Bless Abia State

Thank

Tags: abia state, May 29th 2011, Ochendo, T.A. Orji

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