Abia At 35: Abia Patriots Hail Founders, Past and Present Leaders, Commend Otti’s Transformation

A socio-political group, The Abia Patriots, TAP, has felicitated Abians at home and in the diaspora on the 35th anniversary of the creation of Abia State, paying tribute to the founding fathers and successive administrations that have shaped the state.

In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Mazi Adindu Madumere, on Thursday, the group said the anniversary is a moment to celebrate 35 years of resilience, innovation and sacrifice since Abia was created on August 27, 1991.

The Patriots traced the creation of the state to the agitation led by icons such as Dr. Michael Okpara, B. A. Wachukwu, Dr. M.A.O. Agbara, Dr. Anagha Ezeikpe, Senator S.M. Ojukwu, J.O.J. Okezie, S.U. Nwangaga, and Prof. J.C. Ogbonnaya, who under the Abia State Movement made a formal presentation at the National Assembly in Lagos on July 3, 1980.

“The name ABIA itself, drawn from Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo, remains a symbolic nod to unity and shared destiny,” the group noted, adding that the labour of the founders has not been in vain.

The group also commended successive military and civilian administrators, including the first Military Administrator, Group Captain Frank Ajobena, and former governors Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Chief Theodore Orji and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, for laying bricks upon the foundation.

It lauded Abia entrepreneurs for sustaining the “Made in Aba” drive which positioned the state as Nigeria’s MSME hub.

The Abia Patriots particularly commended Governor Alex Otti for what it described as returning Abia to its original identity as “God’s Own State.”

“In just three years, the Otti administration has accomplished what many described as the work of three administrations. Through visionary and results-driven leadership, it has embarked on urban renewal, infrastructural revitalization and prioritization of citizens’ welfare,” the statement said.

The group said Governor Otti has shown that state capacity is the ability to convert intention into execution, urging him to sustain the transformational development.

It called on Abians to partner with government in unity and hard work, and to eschew tendencies that threaten the unity of the state.

“Abia was born great and like Canaan, bound to flourish. The time has come to reclaim her position as truly Nigeria’s number one state in commerce, education, healthcare and governance,” Madumere said.