2 CENTS
A few weeks ago, I started a weekly habit of spending my two cents on public issues that matter. This week, my coins landed in Abia State. I was there on a private, work-related visit, moving between Umuahia and Aba, observing not as a tourist but as someone who has been there before and knows what neglect looks like. The contrast was impossible to ignore.
Years ago, Abia often featured in conversations about missed opportunities: strategically located, culturally rich, commercially gifted, but infrastructurally constrained. Aba was legendary for industry but notorious for bad roads. Umuahia, the capital, struggled to wear the dignity of a seat of government. This time, what I saw was different. Not perfect. Not finished. But clearly intentional.
Roads that once punished vehicles now invite movement. Drainages that used to be afterthoughts now suggest planning. There is visible effort, and in governance, effort matters because it precedes results. Infrastructure is not just concrete and asphalt; it is confidence. When people see government working, even imperfectly, it changes how they relate with the state.
Governor Alex Otti appears to understand this psychology and has leaned heavily into functionality – do what works, fix what is broken. That mindset explains both the visible projects and the ongoing controversy about where he conducts state business from. Former governors threatening lawsuits over his use of a private residence instead of the Government House may have legal legs, but politically, it feels like noise from yesterday interrupting today’s work.
If the Government House was indeed left in a condition unfit for purpose, then the larger question Abians should ask is not where Otti sits, but what he is doing while sitting there. Governance is not a building; it is decisions. History is kinder to results than to addresses.
One policy that deserves special mention is the green bus initiative. I saw these buses myself. Free electric shuttle buses running through Umuahia and Aba are not just a transport intervention; they are a statement. In a country battling inflation, fuel costs, and climate realities, choosing electric buses is both socially sensitive and forward-looking.
Of course, no administration operates in a vacuum. Distractions will come, lawsuits, media noise, political shadows from the past. But Abia does not need a governor fighting yesterday’s men; it needs one building tomorrow’s state. On that score, Otti should keep his head down and his hands busy.
Finally, a word to Abians themselves. Public infrastructure is not a gift; it is a collective investment. These buses, roads, and facilities belong to the people. Use them well. Protect them fiercely. Hold government accountable but also hold yourselves responsible. Development fails when citizens treat public assets as nobody’s property.
WARD ROUNDS
Kano Defection
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection from NNPP to APC, alongside a train of lawmakers, reinforces a troubling Nigerian pattern: political convenience over ideological consistency. Defection is a constitutional right, but when it becomes epidemic, it empties elections of meaning and weakens voter trust. Democracy needs opposition to function. Without it, accountability suffers and arrogance grows. Regulations around defections must be tightened, not to restrict freedom, but to protect the system from becoming a one-party state. Caution!
Coup Plot Investigation
The confirmation of a foiled coup attempt by the Defence Headquarters is sobering. With military takeovers in neighbouring countries, Nigeria must not assume immunity. Democracy is not self-sustaining; it requires vigilance from both leaders and institutions. Politicians must govern responsibly, reduce tensions, and stop playing reckless games with power. The military, too, must remain professional. A word, they say, is enough for the wise.
Fintech Upgrades
The CBN’s elevation of Opay, Moniepoint, and Kuda to national licenses is recognition well earned. These platforms stepped in where traditional banking failed SMEs and MSMEs. Expansion must now be matched with stronger compliance and consumer protection. Progress must be protected. But for innovation and inclusion, this is a win. Well deserved.
Fela’s Grammy Honour
Fela Kuti’s posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is long overdue. Staged publicity or not, the Wizkid–Seun Kuti episode changes nothing: Fela’s global impact is unquestionable. This is not a moment for rivalry but reverence. The shrine is big enough for legacy and new voices alike. Ikíra fún baba.
AFCON Fallout
The chaos at the 2025 AFCON final did not happen in isolation. It was the climax of poor officiating, silly gimmicks by Hosts Morrocco and most importantly, CAF’s silence or quick intervention throughout the tournament. What you ignore eventually embarrasses you. Sanctioning teams without introspection is incomplete justice. CAF itself must answer for systemic failure. Accountability should start at the top. Yellow card to CAF!
