27/05/2026
RAISING THE BAR
Being the Text of an Address Presented by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, at the Commissioning of the Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal in Umuahia, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Protocol
1. Urbanisation is an enterprise in the expansion of the acres of opportunities, the pursuit of freedom and the multiplication of optimistic ideas. An important lesson of our civilisation is that cities and towns are built on the outlook of visionary men and women, individuals who pay no attention to the predictions of naysayers.
2. Today, we have gathered as witnesses to the actualisation of what was once thought impossible, a mega project that speaks to the size of our ambition as a government. In form and significance, what we have come to do this hour is to make an emphatic announcement that the days of playing small is over. We shall no longer confine ourselves to the margins nor think less of our abilities for we belong to the lineage of dreamers, thinkers and builders. The timely completion of a multi-modal transport terminal right here in Umuahia, with capacity for more than 340 buses per time, offers a convincing proof that something has shifted in our development trajectory. The appetite for quality road infrastructure remains evergreen but having delivered hundreds of kilometres of quality roads over the last 3 years, we have now turned our attention to the broad spectrum of transport infrastructure ecosystem and the network of benefits it holds for economic growth, job creation and new layers of capital investments.
3. The planning and ex*****on of this project left nothing to chance. From security and comfort to accessibility for persons with special needs, this project combined needs-oriented design outlook with the marvel of engineering excellence. What we have gathered to commission is a facility that embodies our resolute commitment to environmental sustainability, service efficiency and the dignity of the human person. May I also inform us that this giant structure is not a stand-alone, isolated project; it is connected to the junction improvement work that have been delivered at the Federal Medical Centre and Club Road intersections, and the 30 bus shelters and articulated bus stops constructed at different parts of the capital. The 20 electric buses currently plying intra and inter-city routes in the State connect seamlessly to the improved transport service ecosystem we have envisioned, with the terminal sitting at the apex. The architecture is set up to enable the smooth flow of traffic into, and out of our urban centres. Other value offerings include dignified pick-up stations and drop off points, buses that run at regular intervals and a central terminal that can accommodate thousands of commuters at the same time. At this facility, waiting, boarding, offloading and other elements of the transport equation are consciously thought out and planned for, long before you step your foot on this ground. The entire project, beyond adding to the urban appeal of our dear capital, has greatly improved the daily commute experience of thousands of individuals, safety of road users and pedestrians, and a new culture of discipline amongst motorists.
4. Outside Umuahia, we are currently working to complete the delivery of a similar project in Aba. Already, 40 bus shelters have been delivered. Furthermore, major infrastructure upgrades and lay-bys have been completed at critical road intersections in the commercial city. Our intent is both practical and symbolic; practical because like I just announced, these new layers of urban infrastructure have improved the daily commute experience of everyday people and then symbolic because it has laid to rest the defeatist assumption that certain things cannot work here. The bar has been raised but even then, the long-term success of this network of projects will demonstrate that our people are as disciplined and orderly as any other people around the world.
5. As I mentioned recently, 20 new electric buses are expected to arrive the State in a few weeks. We are also hoping that before the end of the year, we shall take delivery of another 30 buses presently under construction. It may interest us to know that these buses are specially customised and designed to meet the specific transport needs of our people. Services will keep improving as more buses are delivered; with time, you can tell with accuracy, when a particular bus will arrive and depart each bus station.
6. This terminal, like you may have read in the news, has been named after Professor Nnenna Nnannaya Oti, the courageous INEC returning officer who demonstrated unflinching integrity in the discharge of her duties during a high-stake election assignment here in Abia in 2023. Through her courageous disposition of standing firmly by the truth and refusing to treat her role in the 2023 election as an invitation to a sudden banquet, she reminded us that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results by simply saying no; no to manipulation, no to injustice, no to conspiracy and all such designs that steal the destinies of individuals and communities.
7. At any rate, the decision to name this terminal after this excellent woman of valour also recognises that she represents a broad team of unsung heroes, men and women who did their job with dignity and integrity, refusing to trade the destiny of our people for the fleeting things of life. As a State, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the honest men and women who did their job well in the 2023 gubernatorial election, from the staff of INEC to the security operatives, party agents and a large army of vigilant citizens who stayed awake for days on end, refusing to give an inch to those who sought to achieve victory by intimidation, bribery and manipulation of figures. The State is better today because of the sacrifices you made as individuals and groups. We have named this gigantic structure after Professor Nnenna Oti but in honour and remembrance of your collective forthrightness and patriotism.
8. For the records, I would like to make it clear that it took a lot of efforts to convince Prof Oti to agree to this gesture because in her reckoning, she merely did her job. In our book, however, she did more than tabulate and announce the true results of an election, a job many had previously failed at, nonetheless; she actually lived out the age-old wisdom that a good name is superior to riches. I congratulate the Professor and everyone who worked with her for ending the culture of electoral impunity in the State. I invite you not to relent in standing for truth and justice, wherever life’s boat takes you in the future.
9. Lastly, I would like to thank the Honourable Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Chimezie Ukaegbu and members of his team for the successful delivery of this project. Thank you for executing with an eye on excellence, the future and the New Abia standard. Many of us may not know but what has been delivered is a complete ecosystem with an independent power and water supply to guarantee round-the-clock operational efficiency. We are profoundly grateful to every team member who made the necessary sacrifices to deliver an outstanding project. Commendations are also due to the Planet Project team for their commitment to value, functionality and durability.
10. This Project, as we have heard from the Honourable Commissioner for Transport, belongs to all of us. We are therefore encouraged to take full ownership of it. The best way to use the facility and its component systems is to use it responsibly; there shall be no tolerance for practices such as indiscriminate disposal of waste, vandalism or theft as the full weight of the law would be brought to bear against offenders. May I also remind us that this project is another invitation to take our tax payment obligations more seriously. Taxes are the lubricant that oils the wheel of development. Let us then consistently remit to the government, its share of the prosperity it is creating in our communities through investments such as this.
11. Thank you for listening and may God bless you.
