Protocols
Your Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, the Executive Governor of Abia State.
Your Excellency, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, the Deputy Governor of Abia State.
The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu. Permit me to use you to recognize members of the State Executive Council present and other appointees of government in this gathering.
The Mayor of ukwa East, Hon. Chibunna Akara(to reach other mayors here present)
The State Chairman of the Labour Party, Sir Emmanuel Otti.
Our Royal Highnesses.
Gentlemen of the Press.
Great party men and women.
On behalf of the good people of Ukwa West Local Government, I extend a heartfelt and resounding welcome to His Excellency, Chioma nde Abia, the promise-keeping Governor of Abia State, to Ala Asa.
Today is not just a visit; it is a dream fulfilled. It is a rare moment in history that I address us not only as a people but as one family united in vision and destiny.
Your Excellency, our August visitor, following you has never been a regret. I vividly recall the days of flights and countless drives up and down when it felt like a cry in the wilderness. Yet, as Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” Indeed, what once appeared distant is now reality, and Abians marvel at what the Lord has done. Today, many more have heard that cry and embraced the dawn of the New Abia.
Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the tangible touch of the New Abia is evident in Ukwa West. We need not be reminded of the ongoing construction of the Obehie–Umudobia–Owaza Road. We need not be told about the revocation of acres of land fraudulently taken under the Enyimba Economic City — a city that only existed in the imagination of men. We need not be told about the game-changer AIIP Project, which many thought was a waste of time. We need not be told about your promise and commencement of work on the Uratta–Umuezeke–Umuekechi–Obokwe Road.
Your Excellency, we are not like the nine lepers who, though healed, failed to return with gratitude (Luke 17:17). We are here to say thank you — for the swift intervention in restoring electricity to Ukwa West. Your directive to ASOPADEC to fund the reconnection is already bearing fruit. We are glad to report that the contractor has commenced the installation of new transformers and the reconnection of vandalized lines.
Nde Asa, it would amount to ingratitude if we fail to acknowledge the Project Ekwueme scattered across the State. For the records, Ukwa West received 13 out of the 200 health centres being retrofitted, remodelled, and renovated. We cannot also forget the 20 schools in Ukwa West that are about to be rebuilt; we are currently measuring them for fencing. All these are happening under your watch. These projects are verifiable, tangible, and undeniable.
Your Excellency, for over two decades Asa people lost their Town Hall with a promise of rebuilding it by the NDDC. Little did we know it would be abandoned, but today, under your administration and through ASOPADEC, we now have a befitting Town Hall that has become the envy of other clans.
Our hearts overflow with gratitude, and words cannot capture it all. But allow me, on behalf of Nde Asa, to crown this session of appreciation with a thunderous thank you for your very recent approval of the appointment of our illustrious son, Mazi Ikechukwu Kelechi Nwankwo, as your Deputy Chief Protocol Officer. This singular gesture is not taken for granted, especially at a time when detractors mischievously peddle the false narrative that you do not love Asa land. Your Excellency, this appointment is a clear affirmation that Dr. Alex Otti truly loves Nde Asa. For this, we say: thank you, thank you, thank you!
As John F. Kennedy once posited, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” A true leader understands not only when to speak but also when to render account of stewardship.
Ukwa West LGA Achievements in 9 Months
Your Excellency, while I have taken much time to highlight your achievements in Asa, I would be failing in my duty as a follower if I did not, perhaps for the first time since our almost ten months in office, publicly render an account of our stewardship under your guidance.
Within these nine months, through your cooperation and support, our administration has:
Furnished the newly renovated Political Block earlier remodelled by the former Mayor, Hon. Newman Azu.
Cleared outstanding electricity bills in Asa communities and debts that individual and community contributions alone could not settle.
Totally remodelled and retrofitted the Works & Lands Department building in the Council Headquarters — abandoned for decades.
Your Excellency every right thinking Nigerian or member of any society must recognize the centrality of agriculture, especially as it is at the heart of your drive for food security and sustainable development. This inspired us to have successfully planted 10,000 improved plantain suckers for job creation, internally generated revenue, and economic empowerment.
My administration sponsored the TechRise Programme – Cohort 1, training 30 Asa indigenes in globally relevant digital skills. We deeply appreciate Your Excellency’s gesture of granting automatic employment to 19 beneficiaries, one of whom is proudly from Asa and is present here today.
Currently, the following projects are ongoing:
- Perimeter fencing of the Council Secretariat.
- Remodelling of the story building Legislative Block.
- Remodelling of the Council Hall at the Local Government Headquarters.
- Expansion of lockup shops at Obehie Junction from 38 to 76 units.
- TechRise Programme – Cohort 2, with 50 Asa indigenes enrolled and set to begin training.
- Remodelling of the Ukwa West Magistrate Court, Obehie Asa, which became an emergency.
All these achievements are possible only by God’s grace, Your Excellency’s unalloyed support, and the cooperative spirit of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Indeed, Ukwa West is experiencing a renaissance — governance that works, leadership that transforms, and a partnership with your administration that will continue to bear fruit for generations to come.
Your Excellency, it is often said that “even the finest embroidery still has room for an extra stitch.” In the same spirit, despite all the beautiful and remarkable works we have witnessed under your leadership, it is only fair that we humbly remind you of a few areas of concern.
Recognizing that the office you occupy is one of immense responsibility — with a million and one matters calling for your attention daily — it is understandable that certain commitments may momentarily appear unattended. My people have, therefore, mandated me, as their Mayor, to gently remind our Promise Keeper of the pledge to relocate the ASOPADEC headquarters to Ukwa West. This is well within Your Excellency’s capacity, and we are confident it will be fulfilled in due course.
Your Excellency, it may interest you to know that the ground on which this event is being held is the only available space in the entire Ukwa West for public functions — and it is a school field. We once had a mini stadium at the Council Headquarters, where we grew up holding Children’s Day parades and other events. Sadly, successive governments that paid little attention to our welfare allowed it to be overtaken by thick forest. By God’s grace, we are hopeful of returning this mini stadium to Nde Asa as a legacy of our administration.
Furthermore, mindful of the ugly experiences of the past, my administration took pragmatic steps to promote the principle of Corporate Social Responsibility among corporate establishments, particularly with Inner Galaxy. In response, the company requested land, which we graciously allocated at Obehie for the construction of a Skills Acquisition Centre. The establishment is willing and ready to commence, but unfortunately, a misunderstanding with some host communities has slowed progress. While the host communities prefer the project closer to the company, the choice of Obehie was guided by its centrality, accessibility, and wider benefit to all Asa people. Importantly, there is already an arrangement to grant immediate host communities a higher quota of opportunities once the Centre becomes operational.
Your Excellency, considering that you once set up a committee to handle matters concerning Inner Galaxy, the host communities, and the Local Government, we humbly appeal to your good office to once again intervene and provide a lasting solution.
As a local government, we understand our comparative advantage — we are farmers and traders. Given our strategic location between Aba and Port Harcourt, making Obehie a business hub is of paramount importance as it will drive trade, job creation, and development. This is why, upon completion of the first phase of shops at Obehie, we intend to immediately commence a second phase.
We also note with delight that Ogwe Golden Chicken is set to receive a formidable revitalization, and we eagerly look forward to its reopening.
At this point, permit me, on behalf of the entire people of Asa, to reaffirm our loyalty and unshaken partnership with your administration. We boldly declare that Nde Asa have resolved that Your Excellency will return in 2027 to complete the noble work entrusted into your care. Your re-election, Your Excellency, by our collective resolve, is sealed. Let this echo loud and clear!
And today, as a further demonstration of our solidarity, we are pleased to present to Your Excellency over 30 distinguished personalities, accompanied by their innumerable followers, who are here to be officially received into the Labour Party family and to publicly pledge their support for you. At the appropriate time, we will bring them out.
Your Excellency, nde Asa sigi ibiala, kanka ooo, igbaligbala ahu, Chineke gozie gi, dowegi ndu, gbagi ume, nonyere gi mgbe nile. Amen.
Thank you for listening.
Signed
Hon. Pst. Dike Briggs Nwankwo
Executive Chairman, Ukwa West Local Government
29th August 2025
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